Starlight
by SapphireEJ
Summary: He's the star who just wants to be a high school student; she's the loser, who dreams of her name in lights on Broadway... When they meet at WMHS on the first day of a new school year; how will they take each other? AU from the eps.
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

**NOTE:** So sorry 'ers! I posted this last night on my LJ and then went to post it here... It gave me an error message, so I had to wait. Tried several times, but finally it worked this morning, so here it is... I didn't not forget y'all, don't know why I keep getting that message... If anyone else has had the problem, please let me know (so I know it's not just me.).

...

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Not beta'd; all mistakes are mine. Please mention them if you find any.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

**Prologue... or an introduction to how Puck came to be...**

Noah "Puck" Puckerman never dreamed of stardom; he never wanted to be 'someone.' He liked his life in Lima, Ohio, but when he was almost thirteen, while visiting his dad's brother for a few weeks in the summer, he got a chance to be a star. His uncle was having a bar-b-q and Noah, to entertain his sister and cousins, pulled out his guitar and sang to them. He wasn't doing it for anything other than fun, but what he didn't know was one of the guests was a manager for one of the major record labels in New York City. As he began to put his guitar away, the man, Elliott Case, walked over to him, casually began a conversation and within ten minutes was handing him a business card and told him to be at his office with his parents, at the address on the card the next day at noon and he would discuss a recording contract. Noah laughed in his face, but when the man remained serious, Noah went right to his parents, told them and the next day, while his dad's sister-in-law watched his sister, he, his mom and dad sat in the office of Elliott Case, discussing a recording contract, music, tours, promotions and albums. Puck was born that day; his crazy summer haircut of a mohawk gave him a 'bad boy' image that Elliott liked, so the mohawk remained.

From August 2005 to July 2008, Noah Puckerman, a nobody in Lima, Ohio, became Puck, a teen pop sensation, superstar and heartthrob. His family was split up; his mom and sister remained in Lima, living as normal as possible, while Noah and his dad traveled. His dad gave up his job as a Lima Police Officer to be with his son, not trusting his protection to anyone else, and Noah was thankful to have his dad along the crazy journey. Still in school, a deal was created with the Lima School District so he could be tutored in classes he'd have to take within that district so if he ever wanted to go to school there, he'd still be eligible.

His first single, became an album and tours around the states and Canada for promotion; he was thrown into the world of interviews, photo shoots and live performances on TV shows and soon his promotional tours added meet and greets with fans and autograph signings. A major increase in fans got him a spot as an opening act of a major summer tour. A second album followed quickly and he had officially become competition to Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, because even though his 'image' portrayed him as a rebel, he's always nice, which increased his popularity.

He pushed the money off to his parents; wanting them to take care of the family first. Paying off the house, buying new cars; they bought what they needed, and for security reasons, they bought a house a little out of town, but still within the boundaries of the Lima School District and the high school he'd be attending, and put up a security fence. Noah didn't want them to sell the house he and his sister grew up in; he swore no matter how big Puck was, Noah would never forget who he was or where he came from and that house was where he'd come from.

With the release of his second album, his first solo concert tour was put together and he spent the first months of 2008 doing a 30-city tour, including Columbus, Ohio, as close to Lima as he could get.

By July 2008, Puck had successfully completed his first tour and he was exhausted; he wanted to go home. He'd finished his freshman year of high school with a tutor, but all he wanted was go to high school with his best friend Finn Hudson and play football for William McKinley High School alongside Finn. With no scheduled plans for Puck, Noah registered at WMHS, showed up to football practice in August when it began before school started, and Noah finally got a chance to be a teenager.

The news of his new life began to surface and before long, the entire town knew that he was playing football at McKinley. When classes started, Noah had to deal with the screaming fans in the hallways, but he was thankful that within a week the screams became looks and smiles and the female population seemed to be drawn to him, asking for dates and slipping their numbers into his hand in the hallway. He'd always smile and nod at them politely, but would toss the number into the next trashcan he saw; he wasn't interested in a relationship.

The crowds at the football games for McKinley had doubled or tripled in size, all the spectators yearning for a glimpse at Puck, superstar and now Wide Receiver, #20 on the Titan's football team. Working hard, best friends Noah and Finn, lettered in football, and in the middle of the season, got their Letterman's jackets, which they wore proudly.

Noah only got a few short months as a 'normal teenager.' As the end of football season came in November, his manager broke the news that the label wanted him to start work on a new album right away, feeding off of the popularity of his 'normal' status as football player and student in his hometown, so once again Noah was taken away from his life to please the label. He'd been writing his own music and finally was given the chance to record some original work, along with some that he picked out that he liked. Though he didn't say anything at first, he knew his third album would be it for a while. He **would** return to William McKinley for his junior and senior years of high school. He was going to demand some freedom once the album was out and his second tour was over, which ended in July 2009, just in time to start football.

Noah put his foot down with his manager and said 'no more.' He was tired; the last four years had taken a lot out of him, and he needed a big break; he was going to attend a real high school for his junior and senior years and once he graduated he would come back to the studio and put out a fourth album, knowing his contract was for six, but there was no time limit on when he put them out.

The label was not happy with his choice, but his parents stepped in and stood by their son since he was still a minor; they knew he was exhausted and need a break, and the label reluctantly gave in, agreeing that a break would be alright, but they asked him to spend at least some of his breaks doing interviews and making appearances at events. Noah agreed to 'think about it' if he was invited somewhere, and they accepted that, so alongside his best friend, Finn, and their new friends Matt and Mike, who they had first met the previous football season, the four boys started football practice in August of 2009 for their junior year at William McKinley High school.

...

**Chapter 1**

Rachel Marie Berry knew what she wanted in life from the day she could understand words; she wanted to be the next Broadway star; play the lead role in a Broadway Musical and have her name up in lights. She'd been singing and dancing since she could walk and talk and now as a new year began, her sophomore year of high school, she hoped the slushies of her freshman past were behind her and she could truly focus on her craft within the Glee Club, one that Mr. Schuester had put together and the end of the previous school year.

...

Pulling his black SUV into the parking lot of school, Noah glanced at his reflection in the rear view mirror as he parked. Taking a deep breath, he slid out and grabbed his bag, "_new year, new Noah, new life... I can do this... No manager, no publicist, no tutor, no body guards, though dad's cool... It's just me... I'm going to have a whole two years of peace and quiet. This is what you wanted, dude, so you better enjoy it,_" he mentally coached as he locked his doors and headed towards the school. Running his hand over his freshly shaven head, he smiled, "_no mohawk, no one will recognize me right away; maybe I can get through a whole day without..._"

"OH MY GOD! IT'S PUCK!" A freshman girl screamed as soon as he walked into the doors of the school.

"_Of course the freshman... So much for maybe getting through the day,_" he sighed, putting a smile on his face and greeting the girls that were now crowding around him, all holding out notebooks and pens for him, so he signed a few autographs.

"Hey Noah, we're gonna be late," Finn said making his way through the group of girls.

"Oh yeah, that's right. I gotta get my stuff," he said, "sorry girls, I have to be somewhere," he commented, "but I'll be around all year, so I'm sure you'll have plenty of time for autographs," he assured them, before he and Finn began to walk away from the girls. Once out of ear shot, he put his hand on his best friends shoulder, "thank you."

"No problem. Though I gotta say," Finn glanced back at the girls before looking at his friend, "you've got girls falling all over you, how could you not like that?"

"It gets old real quick," he said softly stopping at his locker, seeing Matt and Mike there. "hey guys."

"Hey, thought you had gotten here," Mike laughed, "just be lucky it's not the entire school like last year. This year it's just the new freshman who weren't here last year."

"Yeah, true," Noah stuffed a few things into his locker.

"Did you ask him yet?" Matt asked Finn.

"No, dude, I haven't had a chance," Finn snapped.

"Dude, you've had all summer. Come on, we need a twelfth member... He could be it..."

"If you guys are talking about me, I'm right here. What's up?" He asked closing his locker to lean against it.

"Um, well," Finn rubbed his neck nervously, "you see... Um... The guys and I..."

Noah smirked, "Finn, I've know you for like eleven years and you've never been nervous around me, what's up?"

"You see, I know you said you wanted to, like, take a break from music, so I was kind of stalling, but the guys and I joined the Glee Club at the end of last year and we need twelve members, and one of the guys moved away over the summer, so we're missing a guy and... We can't compete without twelve members..."

"So you want me to join this little club of yours? What is 'Glee Club' and what does it have to do with music?" Noah asked.

"It's a show choir," Mike said, "singing and dancing. It's not the most popular club in school, but we have fun and we kind of thought you'd be interested, but we know you want to be away from music..."

Noah shrugged, "I'm taking a break from the industry, not music itself. So who runs it?"

"Mr. Schuester; he teaches Spanish," Finn said.

Noah nodded, "I had him last year, cool guy. I have him this year, too. Surprised they let me take second year, but since I did finish the class with a tutor it's still the same. When is your first meeting?"

"Today at three-thirty in the choir room," Matt replied.

"Now I know why we don't have practices after school on Mondays and Thursdays," Noah laughed, "got ya. I'll be there."

"Really?" Finn asked surprised.

Noah shrugged, "well, you need twelve people, I'm assuming there is partner dancing, and you said one of the guys moved over the summer. I'm a guy, so why not?"

"Cool, dude. Mr. Schue will be excited. We told him we'd ask you," Mike smiled.

"Rachel will be excited," Matt grinned.

"Who's Rachel?" Noah asked.

"She's kind of like the club captain. No one else wanted the position," Mike laughed.

"And she's a little crazy," Matt commented.

"Guys, be nice," Finn warned.

Matt and Mike rolled their eyes and Noah laughed a little, "what's up with her?"

"Rachel has very big dreams and is determined to get there. She wants to be on Broadway, or something like that," Finn explained.

Noah groaned, leaning back against the lockers, "I see."

"Well, whatever, dude what classes do you have?" Matt asked looking at his schedule.

Noah tugged the piece of paper from his pocket, but before they could begin to compare their schedules, three cheerleaders walked up, dressed in their uniforms. The lead blond walked right to Finn, "hey Finn," she greeted.

"Hey, Quinn," he smiled at her, pressing a kiss to her lips, "Quinn, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Noah... Noah, this is my girlfriend Quinn Fabray."

The blond turned her head from her boyfriend to Noah, her eyes widening, "hi! Um, you're the Noah that Finn is always talking about... Puck?" She asked.

"Guilty as charged," he laughed, "nice to meet you, Quinn, I've heard all about you; all good, I promise."

"He's not Puck to me," Finn said, "well he is, but he's my best friend, even if he is famous."

Quinn smiled, nodding, "cool. Uh, these are my friends, Santana and Brittany," she said motioning towards the other two.

Brittany was hugging Mike at the time and Santana was standing next to Matt, "ladies, nice to meet you," Noah smiled, nodding at them.

"They're all in Glee Club with us," Finn explained.

The bell overhead rang, breaking up many of the groups that had been gathered in the hallways. Noah glanced at his schedule and parted from his friends, heading for his first class; history. He was glad for having his History and English classes at the beginning of the day; the boring ones were out of the way early. Taking a seat in the back of each class and those who didn't see him come into the class, as soon as their teacher called his name out, many turned to look at him; some of the girls were grinning, while the guys in class either just shrugged or didn't care; he sat next to Mike in English, and when the the class ended, they headed to their lockers, "you've got weight lifting next, right?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, I could use the wake up from the last two classes," he laughed.

"Tell me about it," Mike agreed.

Stashing his books and backpack in his locker, Noah closed his locker and the two waited for Matt and Finn. Noah was 'people watching' as students passed him, and he noticed a petite girl, with long brunette hair, dressed in a sweater and a plaid skirt, but what drew him in was what was around her neck, a 'Star of David' necklace. "_Someone else in this school is Jewish? Nice!_" He thought, but before he could register what was going on, a guy walked up to her and threw an ice cold slushy at her, the purple mush coating her face, mixing into her hair and dripping down her shirt. "What the fuck?" Noah snapped nudging Mike.

Mike turned around and groaned, "oh crap," he shook his head.

Noah moved towards the girl, still standing frozen in the hall, "are you alright?" He asked.

The girl turned her head to him, "what do you care? You're just another one of them. Do you have one to throw at me, too? Or can I go clean this off?" She snapped, storming away before he could even answer.

Standing in the middle of the hallway, completely confused, he looked up to see Finn, Matt and Mike eyeing him, "welcome home, Noah," Finn commented sadly. "It's a long story," he admitted with a sigh, the three boys turning to guide him towards the gym.

"What just happened?" Noah asked in disbelief.

"Some of the jocks seem to think the only way to stay on the top of the food chain is if they throw slushies on the freaks and geeks of the school. Unfortunately," Finn sighed, "I'm sure we will be on the receiving end of a few once the team finds out we're in the club."

"What club?" Noah asked.

"Um," Finn scratched his head, "the Glee Club, and... I feel bad we didn't help her, but that was Rachel."

"Glee Club Rachel?" Noah questioned. "Why hasn't anyone stopped them?"

"They have been reported, but it seems like the only time it happens is when a teacher isn't around, and even then, they say it was an accident," Mike commented.

"How long has this been happening?" Noah demanded to know.

"Just after you left last year," Matt said.

Walking into the gym, they found seats on the bleachers and kicked back; the first day of class was the day they found out what they would be doing that year, but most of the guys there were playing a sport, so no one really needed to know; they just needed to work out to stay in shape.

With the downtime, Noah's mind was doing a mental work out, "_what the hell? Jocks throw slushies on people for the fun of it? On the geeks and freaks? What the hell is wrong with the Glee Club to make them do that? Why?_" He shook his head unable to come up with a reason, "_why would they do that to her? Wait a second, you don't even know her and you're concerned about her... Well, Finn knows her and she's in the Glee Club, so... If I'm joining I'll know her soon... But still, why her? I saw it with my own eyes... Just out of now where that guy threw a slushy on her... Her... She's... No! Dude! What the hell is with you? You agreed no relationships... No, you agreed no non-Jewish relationships with girls... She's Jewish... Wait a second, just because she wears a 'Star of David' pendant doesn't mean she is, right? Maybe I should rethink this whole Glee Club thing... Finn and the guys are in it, so it can't be so bad... I just need... I need some time to think things out... I'll go hide during lunch... Snap out of it for now, dude, coach is watching you!_" Noah shook from his thoughts and tried to listen to the teacher ramble on about the year of class, who was also their football coach. "_Maybe if I... No... Well... I won't let Finn down. He never asks me for anything and he is my best friend, so I'm going to do this; I'll join the club, but if anyone throws one of those things on me, I'll have them suspended so fast they'll get whiplash! Okay, so you figured out the club, but what about the girl? Well, what about her? You don't know anything about her... You saw her get humiliated in the hallway right in front of you and now you can't stop thinking about her... Crap... Dude... What the hell?... Oh, it's going to be a long day..._"

...

A/N4: I did not plan to write a new series, but this is what came out when I started writing. For those of you who haven't read it, I also write an 'epic Puckleberry' fic called 'Out of the Blue'; check it out. I'm recharging my batteries and expanding my horizons in writing... I hope you like and we'll see how it goes. 'Out of the Blue' fans ~ it's not going to be forgotten; I'm working on both.

A/N5: Prologue might not have been necessary, but I figured it was the best way to explain how Puck was 'born' and where he was coming from, so I hope y'all didn't mind a little back story.

A/N6: This chapter had been longer, but I thought I'd split it up, giving y'all a taste of Noah's mental struggles, before he gets to meet Rachel again, or well, meet her officially.

A/N7: Don't forget to review! I really wanna know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Not beta'd; all mistakes are mine. Please mention them if you find any.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

As the bell rang to end class, Noah sat, his mind so foggy with questions that he didn't hear it, so his friends waited for him and Finn finally nudged him, "dude, are you coming? Noah, snap out of it," Finn commented snapping his fingers in front of his face.

Noah shook from his daze and got up, following Finn and the guys, "sorry, was thinking about something," he said.

"Oh. We're heading to lunch, are you coming?" Matt asked.

"Actually, I need to make a phone call, so I'm gonna bounce for now," Noah admitted, "_so I can think without interruptions,_" he mentally added as they reached the cafeteria and girls began screaming again. "Seriously?" He groaned and looked at his friends in a 'please don't leave me' look.

The three guys seemed to figure out his look because as soon as several girls ran over to him, begging for his autograph or a picture with him, the three guys stood behind and on the side of him. Noah signed the few notebooks he was handed and then smiled when the girls stood next to him, doing his best to at least look like he cared, but at the moment he had other things on his mind that kept him distracted. Feeling his phone vibrate, he reached into his pocket and dug it out, answering without looking to see who it was, "hello?"

"You owe me, dude," the voice on the other end laughed.

Noah glanced over at Finn, who was a few feet away, motioning to play along, "uh, yeah I just gotta find someplace to hear you. Hang on," he paused and looked at the girls, "it's my manager, so I gotta go, but I'll be around, bye," he waved at them and headed out of the cafeteria, "thank you," Noah smiled, still on the phone with Finn, "seriously, you've saved my ass twice today."

"No worries, I just hope it doesn't continue all year," Finn said. "Or you will start owing me big time, bro," he added with a laugh.

Noah laughed along with his friend, "I hope not all year," he agreed, reaching his locker, "I'll talk to you later, man," he replied, closing his phone and sticking it back into his pocket. Grabbing his bag and binder from his locker, he closed it and began to wander around the school. He felt a little lost now. After four years of being thrown from every situation imaginable, he was actually nervous to be in high school, "_dude, chill out. What the hell? You weren't like this last year!_" His mental thoughts continued as he walked through the school, until reaching a set of doors saying 'auditorium.' Trying the doors he found them unlocked, so he stepped inside, seeing the only lights on were shining on the stage, "_perfect, I can hide out and no one will see me right away._"

He moved towards a secluded corner and took a seat, kicking his feet up on the back of the seats in front of him and then relaxed, closing his eyes, "_perfect. Peace and quiet. No screaming fans, no one wanting anything from me,_" he stuffed his hands in his pockets and got comfortable, knowing he'd have a good hour that he could nap if he wanted.

"_I wonder what I should do for my next album... Damn it! NO! No work! Only fun... You wanted this so don't start thinking about a new album or anything related to that!_" His mental lecture was broken by the sound of something on stage, so he opened his eyes and glanced towards the noise, seeing a brunette moving a piano towards the front of the stage.

"_So much for peace and quiet,_" he thought watching her curiously. "_Wait; brunette hair, short... Isn't that the girl from earlier? Rachel?_" He focused on her and as she turned, the lights hit her necklace, "_yes it is. She's got different clothes on now... What is she doing?_"

Noah's question was answered moments later as she began to play a familiar melody on the piano, but it was a little slower than the version he knew. Before he could focus more on the music, she began to sing, like no one he had ever heard before; she had perfect pitch, and hit the notes right on to the original, "_I've always been the kind of girl that hid my face. So afraid to tell the world, what I've got to say, but I have this dream, bright inside of me. I'm gonna let it show, it's time to let you know, to let you know... This is real, this is me, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now. Gonna let the light shine on me. Now I found who I am, there's no way to hold it in. No more hiding who I wanna be, this is me..._"

He took a deep breath as he listened, his feet falling off the back of the seats where they had been propped up. She continued to play, as if she'd arranged it herself to be slower. He felt the meaning behind each word she sang and felt chills, "_she's got a beautiful voice,_" he thought, staring at her, "_how can a girl this beautiful, with this much talent, be humiliated on a daily basis?_"

On stage, Rachel began the second chorus, "_do you know what it's like to feel so in the dark, to dream about a life, where you're the shining star? Even though it seems, like its too far away. I have to believe in myself, it's the only way._"

His chills never went away as she sang the second verse, but this time, he stood up and slowly grabbed his bag as she continued with the chorus once more, hoping she would continue playing. Climbing the stairs to the stage, he set his bag down and took a deep breath as he belted out the male part to the song, "_you're the voice I hear inside my head, the reason that I'm singing, I need to find you, I gotta find you. You're the missing piece I need, the song inside of me, I need find you, I gotta find you..._"

Rachel's eyes widened in shock and fear as the stranger on stage kept up with her song, and sang to her as if he'd done it before, but she couldn't seem to stop her fingers from dancing along the keys until his verse had finished. Swallowing hard, she stood up quickly, "who are you?" She asked, "what are you doing here? Are you some kind of stalker?"

He smirked, "no."

"Then what are you doing here? No one is ever in here during lunch," she said.

He shrugged, "came in here for some peace and quiet. Got this instead," he stepped closer to her and held out his hand, "Noah Puckerman."

She timidly took his hand and shook it, "Rachel Berry. I've never see you here before."

"I guess you could say I'm new here. I was here last year for about three months, but, um, some personal stuff took me away from school," he admitted. "I had to finish the year out with a tutor... You have a beautiful voice," he blurted out. "_With that hell, Puckerman? Good start there!_"

She blushed, "thank you. After fifteen years of voice, piano and dance lessons, I sure hope I have a beautiful voice, even if no one around here respects it," she muttered the last words.

"I saw what that guy did this morning... I... I was the one who asked if you were alright," he told her.

Her eyes widened, and she took a step back, "that was you?" She gasped.

"Yeah," he held up his hands, noticing her retreat, "I'm not here to throw anything at you. Damn, they've really fucked you up," he noted.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, "yes, well, after last year, my fellow Glee members and I got used to it, so we just started keeping a towel and a change of clothes in our lockers."

Raising a curious eyebrow at her, he asked, "so why do you put up with that? Stick up for yourself; fight back. You're letting them win."

"Easy for you to say. I'm the school freak; you're a jock, or did you just steal that Letterman's jacket?" She snapped.

"I earned this jacket," he hissed, motioning to the red jacket he wore. "What the hell is with you and attacking everyone that asks you a question? First earlier, now this!"

She sighed, pressing the bridge of her nose, "I'm sorry, Noah, but it's my protection. I have to put on a good face for my peers and let them think that what happens out there is nothing," she motioned towards the exit doors.

He scoffed at that, "yeah, well, you don't need fifteen years of lessons in voice, dance and piano to get a slushy thrown in your face, so what's all this for anyway? Why do you do this?" He waved his hand towards the piano.

"I'm going to be on Broadway someday and play the lead in a musical. I want to win a Tony and see my name up in lights," she said, her hands making the motions as if she was drawing out the sign in the air.

"So you want the glamorous life? The life where you have to put your family and friends second to your job? You want to work yourself to the breaking point and wish you had never done it? It ain't so glamorous... I'm sorry, but you're crazy if that's what you want," he shook his head, knowing all to well what the life of a celebrity was like.

She crossed her arms over her chest, "you don't know the first thing about being in the spotlight, Noah Puckerman," she retorted.

He took a deep breath and balled his hands into fists at his sides, "you obviously don't know a damn thing about me, because if you did... you know what? Forget it. I'm out," he threw up his hands and moved to the stairs, grabbing his backpack on the way and walking out of the auditorium without a glance back at her. "_Smooth move Noah! The one girl who obviously doesn't recognize you and you just blow her off... The one person who probably would be friends with you and you just walk away._" His feet guided him outside and he was now standing in a small alcove of away from prying eyes, "_damn it! Why the fuck is this bothering me so much? Fucking Elliott being at that damn party four years ago!_" His mind screamed as he kicked the wall to let off steam. "Four fucking years I lost with my friends and family!" He hissed out loud. A gasp startled him and he turned around to see the girl who got him so frustrated, "what do you want?"

Her eyes were wide in shock, "what do you mean, you lost four years with your friends and family?" She asked quickly.

"What do you care? You tell me I don't know anything about being in the spotlight, well, you're wrong. Why don't you go Google my name and let me know what you find," he snapped, pushing past her and heading back inside.

Rachel's mouth fell open from shock as she watched him walk away again, this time, looking more upset and defensive than he had been before. "_Google his name? Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt,_" she thought, moving back into the school and heading for the library. Signing in, she moved towards the open computers and found one far enough away so she couldn't get caught and pulled up a web browser. Going to Google, she typed in "Noah Puckerman," and hit the enter button, not expecting to get anything. Seconds later, the results came back, "_24 Million results in a quarter of a second? What in the world?_" She gasped. At the top of the results were four pictures under the 'image results' and she clicked on the largest of the four, and the image got larger on the screen. The subject of the photo was standing in a relaxed pose with his hands in his jean pockets, a blue t-shirt standing out from the gray background, but what stood out the most to her was the mohawk on his head. "_He looks like... His eyes... It's Noah... A mohawk? He must have shaved it of..._" She held her hand over the screen to cover up the mohawk on his head, and sure enough Noah stared back at her, "_that is him... That must have been what all the screaming girls were about earlier,_" she thought, going back to the search results and skimming them. "_Puck this, Puck that, I thought his name was Noah... Look for a credible source... There, the 'Official Puck' website._" Clicking on the link, she was immediately taken to a darker screen, a black and white photo of him sitting in the center, with a few links on either side, "_yes, that is him._" Clicking on news, she read the most recent post.

"_**August 25, 2009:**__Puck back home to finish his high school education... After a long, yet successful four years in the business, teen sensation, Puck, a.k.a. Noah Puckerman, has returned to his hometown in Lima, Ohio to finish his final years in high school and reconnect with his friends and family. Puck assures all his fans that he will be back. He is quoted saying, "I'm not leaving for good. I'm just taking some time to spend with my family and to share the high school experience with my friends. I will still be writing and working on music for my new album, but I won't be recording much until after I finish school. I am truly grateful for all of my fans' support over the years and thank each and every one of them for the wonderful time we've had. I look forward to our future and I'll see you soon." So while Puck's fourth album is a ways away, check out our store for his first three albums, concert DVDs, merchandise and autographed photos. And don't forget Puck's official twitter and blog, where you'll get live updates from Puck himself!_"

As soon as Rachel read the post, she went to the media section and skimmed over some of his photos from concerts, photo shoots, TV appearances, award acceptance speeches, and many more. "_How did I not even know about him? I thought I was pretty up on music... No... If it's not Broadway or classics, you usually turn your nose up at them..._" Skimming over his biography section she saw his was born in August, "_he just turned 17... Has a little sister... Born and raised in Lima, Ohio..._"

The bell overhead rang loudly, signaling the end of lunch. "_I need to apologize to him. I just hope I'll able to find him._" She closed the browser and dashed off to her next class, her mind running a marathon, "_I need to go get his CDs after school... No wait... Glee is after school... Okay... After Glee... Oh no! Jeremy left! We need another guy... Wait... Noah could join... I doubt he would, though... No... He doesn't seem like the singing and dancing type..._" Sighing, Rachel slid into an empty seat in her history class and hoped she could get her mind on something else, but every time her teacher would begin to explain something, her thoughts would travel to Noah. "_No, Rachel, do not even think of getting a crush on him! He will never see you as anything more than a... what? After today he probably will never speak to me again, so what does it matter? He can have any girl he wants... The chances he'd want me are so small..._"

Escaping a history class she hardly remembers writing down notes in, she stashed her book in her locker and looked at her schedule, "Pre-Calculus and Trigonometry. Nice, it's just a few classrooms away from my locker and from my last class, Earth Science, so perfect," she smiled and headed towards her class, freezing when she walked in and saw the object of her thoughts for the past few hours sitting in the back of the classroom, bag on the table, head leaned back like he was sleeping. "_You can do this, Rachel. Just go sit next to him. He probably won't even notice you're there until after class starts and you won't have a chance to talk._" With her mental pep talk, Rachel moved towards the back of the classroom and silently took a seat next to him at the table.

"Hello, Rachel Berry," Noah said calmly, resting his arms on his bag that sat on the table, "read anything good online lately?"

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, "um, yes, well actually more of discovered something. You see, I made a mistake and told someone they didn't know the first thing about being a star, and I didn't know he was one at the time, but just a few hours ago, I went online and looked up his name. I would like to apologize to him, but I'm unsure if he would even accept it," she bit her lip nervously.

"You won't know unless you say something," he said, fighting the urge to smile.

Turning to look right at him, she calmly replied, "I'm sorry. I was wrong to snap to the judgment I made of you."

A smile tugged at his lips, "apology accepted, but F.Y.I., it's best not to jump to conclusions about someone without even knowing them first," he added.

"Yes, you are correct. Could we," she paused, "could we start over?" She asked holding out her hand.

Noah eyed her hand for a moment, but nodded, "I'd like that," he agreed, taking her hand in his and shaking it gently.

Rachel smiled, "_compliment him!_" Her mind screamed, a blush forming on her cheeks, "I... Well, I only heard you briefly today, but I like your voice. I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar your music," she admitted sadly.

He shrugged, "good, for once someone's talking to me without knowing me."

"What?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"I'm a 'celebrity.' There are those who treat me like a person, like my family and best friends, but most everyone else just wants to be seen with me or wants something from me. I appreciate all my fans, I really do, but it's nice to talk to someone without wondering why they are or knowing they are talking to me just to be seen with me," he admitted softly, seeing the class fill up a bit more.

"I suppose that must be pretty upsetting," she replied gently.

"Yeah, but at least I know who my true friends are," he explained, "and honestly, I know we just met, but I think you'll be one of them, too," he added, his voice soft.

"Really?" Her eyes went wide at what he had admitted.

"Yeah," he laughed, "you were the first person to stand up to me and yell at me. Well, not yell, but at least treat me like a person and not a glass object. Well, besides my parents, sister and my best friend."

Rachel smiled and pulled out a piece of paper to take notes on as he spoke and then took out a smaller notepad, golden paper in the shape of a star and wrote something down on it. Pulling the paper off, she handed it to him, "if you would ever like to talk... you know, about anything, let me know."

Noah took the golden paper from her hand and nodded, seeing her phone number and name. "I'll hold you to that," he folded it up neatly and for the first time in two years at WMHS, he slid the paper into his pocket and saved it. Taking a leap of faith, he sat forward, reached for the tablet and her pen and scratched his number onto the top sheet, "I trust that you won't give this out?" He said quietly before pushing the tablet back to her.

Her eyes widened, quickly taking the paper off and folded it, sliding it into her purse by her cell phone, "it's safe. I won't give it out."

"Good," he tugged his binder out and set his bag on the floor, just as their class began.

Books were passed out and the teacher did what every other teacher had done through the day; went through the year of class, but it didn't take long. The rest of class time, they got a chance to 'get to know their neighbors' because they would be sitting next to them the rest of the year.

"Guess it's a good thing you got here first," Noah smirked as he glanced at Rachel.

She blushed, "yes, I guess it is. Can I ask you something?"

He grinned, "you just did, but yeah, what's up?"

"How did you get a Letterman's jacket from McKinley?"

"I was here last year for about three months, well through the end of football season and I had lettered in football. Halfway through the season those who lettered got their jackets," he explained.

"Oh. I was only a freshman last year and didn't know much about the school. I guess I never realized what was going on," she admitted. "I'm sorry I suggested you had stolen it."

"No worries," he shrugged, stuffing his math book into his bag, "what do you have next?"

Rachel glanced at her schedule, "Earth Science with Mr. Ruins," she replied.

"Me too," Noah smiled, "want to sit together again?"

"Sure," she smiled, "I would like to go drop my book off at my locker, but we could walk together... That is, if you don't mind being seen with me. Most people don't want..."

He laughed a her and stood up as the bell rang, "I'm not most people," he held out his hand to her, "watch me."

...

Music: 'This Is Me' sung by Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas in Camp Rock.

...

A/N4: Thank you, thank you, thank you ALL for the awesome reviews and alerts! It's been so great to see such quick feedback; keep it coming! :D

A/N5: Hope you liked ;) if things go well, I may be able to get the next chapter up in a day or so. I'm balancing 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight' so hoping to get at least one chapter of each posted during the week, more if possible. Right now, this chapter was also part of chapter one, but it got long, so I split them up.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Not beta'd; all mistakes are mine. Please mention them if you find any.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

She eyed his hand before standing up and taking it. He laced his fingers in hers and she let him walk her out of class. "_What is he doing? Is he crazy?_" Her eyes darted around the hallway, already seeing the surprised looks they were getting. "_This was a bad idea... Why did you take his hand? He's... What is going on? Wait... He said he's not like most people, but still... Doesn't he... He's got to think about... Everyone is going to hate me for this!_" Her mind screamed as she tried to figure out his motives.

Noah knew they were being stared at, but he didn't care. As they continued to walk, he turned to look at her, "you know what's a bonus?"

"Bonus for what?" She asked nervously, trying to keep up with him, not missing the looks they were getting, "_I'm going to be in so much trouble... I'll get more slushies now... Noah! What are you doing?_" She thought, trying to remain calm next to him.

"I'm not the only Jew in school," he commented casually.

Her eyes widened, "you're Jewish?"

"Yes I am," he nodded, "and I know I said not to judge people by assuming, but your necklace was the first thing I really noticed about you, even covered in grape slushy," he smirked, now acknowledging the the shocked faces, "take a picture guys, it lasts longer," he called out, turning the corner.

"Noah!" Rachel exclaimed, but kept hold of his hand; in fear that she'd be mobbed if their hands broke apart. Her other hand brushed against her necklace, "_he saw it? He's Jewish? But his website didn't say that he was... You can't believe everything you read; and you can't believe everything you hear, either... Maybe he is, but he could just be saying that..._"

"Let me drop off my book and we can head to your locker," he said calmly, as if the cameras were not bothering him and he also chose to ignore her outburst. Reaching his locker, he gently released her hand to turn the knob and opened it, taking his book from his bag and pushing it inside. Noticing Rachel nervously looking around, he closed his locker and held out his hand to her, "alright, lead the way, Miss Berry," he grinned.

Rachel slowly took his hand again and guided him down the hallway and around the corner towards her locker; passing Quinn and Finn going in the opposite direction.

"Noah?" Finn stopped and looked back at his friend.

Noah turned his head and smiled at Finn, "hey man," he waved with his other hand and let Rachel lead him away.

"Was that just... and Berry?" Quinn asked with shocked eyes.

"Apparently yes, it was. I mean, I think that's my best friend. He doesn't have a twin, so it must be... I need to talk to him," Finn admitted, "but it'll have to wait until after school."

Stopping by Rachel's locker, she dropped her book off before they continued towards their Earth Science class, the looks continuing. Once they were in the semi-safety of the classroom, empty for the moment, Rachel let go of his hand, "Noah Puckerman, I do not know what you are doing, but I am not going to be some... some school tramp that you parade around like..."

"Whoa, chill out or I might have to try the slushy on you, too," Noah laughed heading towards the back of the classroom and took a seat at one of the tables.

Rachel's feet followed him while she still tried to figure him out, "chill out? You want me to chill out? I know we just met, but do you realize what this is going to do to me?" She exclaimed, covering her mouth when she heard the echo in the empty room, "I'll be going from one slushy to a dozen because people will be jealous..."

He shook his head, "look," he turned in his seat to look up at her, since she was still standing, "I know what I did was probably out of line and by tomorrow it'll be front page news," her eyes went wide at those words, "but trust me, I'm not going to parade you around, you're not a tramp and I'm not going to let someone do that to you. I'll stand in front of them for you. One slushy hits me and I'll have whoever did it suspended."

She stomped her foot in frustration, "don't you get it? That will only make it worse!" She crossed her arms over her chest and plopped down in the seat next to him, but chose to stare at the front of the classroom, "we just met and you're acting as if we're a couple, which were not, even though we do have the same religion and I'm attracted to you," she shook her head and took a deep breath, "we're from two different worlds... I'm not... We can't... I'd ruin..."

He reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder, "you think you're not good enough for me; that we couldn't make it work because of my job and you'd ruin my reputation?" He asked, finishing each sentence that she couldn't. "You are better than anyone for me, my job is on hold until I finish high school and I don't give a flying fuck about my reputation," he snapped, turning to cross his own arms over his chest, staring away from her, "_dude, way to be fucking spontaneous! You're screwing this up! Fix it!_" Turning back to her he returned his hand to her shoulder, "Rachel, it's done and over with. We can't change what happened. Call it being spontaneous. I don't know, but if you're this upset about it, we can just forget it happened, alright?" He sighed, "_I can hear it now... Dad will be, 'what the hell were you thinking? What happened to keeping a low profile?' Mom will be in tears because I've got a Jewish friend who is a girl... Elliott might have a heart attack... Oh shit! What is Elliott going to say if I join the Glee Club? Maybe I should tell Rachel I'm joining... No, I'm gonna surprise her..._"

"Noah, I didn't mean it that way," she lowered her arms and turned towards him, "you seem like a really nice guy and I... I'd like to be friends with you... I'm... I don't have many friends and most of them are girls, well except Kurt, but he's gay, so he really counts as a girl, but I've seen the movies... Popular guy uses the not so popular girl to make her feel better about herself, or to break the 'status quo'... I will not let you use me... And in 'Another Cinderella Story' a famous boy goes to school, meets a girl at a dance and falls in love, but doesn't know who she is and turns out she's the maid to..."

"Please don't finish that line," he muttered, taking his hand off her shoulder. "Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers... Don't even bring those names up, please," he begged.

"But you knew 'This Is Me'," she retorted, shocked and confused.

"One must know who they are fighting against," he smirked, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. With a sigh he dug it out and noticed an incoming picture message from Elliott. Debating if he should open it, he did, seeing a picture of him and Rachel staring back at him, "crap... News travels fast. Just got this from my manager," he turned it to her, letting her see the picture.

Rachel's eyes widened and she sunk down in her seat, "he's going to hate me," she sighed.

"You think I care?" Noah asked, scrolling down in the message to read his manager's words privately, "_First day of school and I see this on Twitter? ARE YOU INSANE? I swear you are out to give me a heart attack! You better explain it to me this instant!_" With a grin, he hit the reply button and wrote back with, "_in class. talk later,_" before putting his phone away and looking at her, "so, Rachel, are we cool or are you going to hate me?"

"No, I'm not going to hate you," she shook her head, "but I think you need your head examined. What football job do have again? Are you sure you haven't gotten hit in the head?"

"Job? It's called a football position, and I play wide-receiver. I catch the football and no, I haven't been hit with one, though I'm sure Elliott will think I have been, too," he shrugged, "and want a CT scan just to be sure," he laughed, "but it's all good, right?"

"Good? You think this is good?" Rachel exclaimed.

"I see you two are getting along well," Mike laughed as he and Brittany walked into the classroom and took seats in front of Rachel and Noah. "Dude, you've got like the whole school freaking out," Mike added.

Rachel groaned and sunk even further into her seat, covering her face with her hands.

"I think it's awesome! You just met and you're already dating," Brittany grinned.

"We're not dating," both Noah and Rachel said together. "We're friends," Noah added.

"So friends hold hands in the hallways?" Mike asked curiously, "oh and Mercedes and Kurt are also in this class, so you might want to -"

"RACHEL BERRY! WHAT IS GOING ON?" Kurt exclaimed as he rushed into the class and over to her, pressing his hand to her forehead, "you're warm? You must have a fever! What are you thinking?"

"I told him to settle down, but he won't," Mercedes commented moving towards the small group of students.

"Um, who are you two?" Noah asked confused.

"Noah, this is Kurt and Mercedes, they're my friends," Rachel supplied. "Um, guys, this is Noah Puckerman."

"We know," Mercedes and Kurt replied at the same time.

Before anything else could be said, Noah felt his phone and he pulled it out again, even though he thought he should ignore it, but this time found a text from his dad. Taking a deep breath he chose to read it. "_Family meeting when you get home from school. Bring Finn, your new 'friend' and her dads._"

"Ah shit," he groaned rubbing his forehead, "Rachel, what are you doing after school?"

"Um, well there is Glee Club practice from three-thirty to four-thirty and then I have a strict MySpace schedule that I keep between six and seven, why?" She asked turning to him.

"Well, my dad just wrote me a message telling me there is a family meeting after I get home from school and he told me to bring my best friend, my new 'friend' and your dads, but I think he means your parents," he said calmly.

"I have two dads," she said, "what do you mean a family meeting? And why would I be invited?"

"Come on Miss Diva," Kurt waved his hand in front of her face, "you've got the entire student body going crazy with your new relationship with one very attractive pop singer and there have been at least fifty Twitter posts in the last ten minutes of you two. No doubt his manager has seen them," Kurt grinned moving across the aisle to set his things down at a table. "Oh, this is going to be a public relations (PR) nightmare and we have got to get you some new clothes. If you're going to be seen with him, you've got to get a little more fashion sense; the last thing Puck needs is a girlfriend who dresses like a... a... I don't even know how to describe your wardrobe choices anymore," he sighed shaking his head in defeat.

"Dude, chill out, she's fine with what she's got on, though I have only seen the outfit from this morning and this one," Noah motioned towards her.

"Thank you, Noah, but that still doesn't explain why I have to be at your family meeting with my dads," she said.

The class had filled up since their conversation began and before they could continue, the bell rang, so Rachel would have to wait for an answer. Unable to talk, Noah acted as if he was taking notes for class, which he was, but was alternating between that and writing a note to her. Once he was finished, he carefully slid the note across the table.

Rachel saw it slide over and she added the paper to the top of hers, reading it, "_my manager saw tweets (from what I showed). My response to him was I would talk to him later because I was in class. He must have gone to dad (who travels with me and is kind of like my second manager) and they probably want to know who you are, but he seemed to know you have 2 dads, so I don't know. I'm sure I'm in deep shit because I didn't 'think' when I held your hand in the hall. Sorry, Rachel, I didn't realize it would get out of hand that quick. I want to be a normal person, have normal friends and hang out with people, but 'Puck' is in the spotlight and everyone is watching his every move. This might have opened a can of worms, now that I think about it, because I've never dated. As I write this I'm kicking myself for dragging you into my crazy life. So sorry._"

Rachel read the message a second time to make sure she understood it before she wrote back with, "_you're allowed to have a life, Noah, and I'm not going to walk away. Friends, remember? Maybe one of your parents knows one of my dads. If we're all Jewish it's possible; there are not that many Jewish people in town. Don't apologize. We'll figure something out. Besides, it'll be practice for when I'm on Broadway._" She finished her sentence by drawing a star next to 'Broadway,' before passing the paper back to him.

He skimmed over her message and smirked before writing, "_can we talk after school; alone? Before you have Glee?_"

She wrote a simple 'yes' and showed it to him. Getting a nod in response, she slid it into her binder for later, and let their class continue, "_what is this? My heart is beating fast, but I'm not doing anything except writing notes... Is this... I think I've got a crush on Noah._"

Half listening to their teacher, Noah stole a glance at Rachel, "_damn it, you're already falling for her!_" He smiled lightly at her, and then turned back to class, his mind already going crazy, "_friends... You want friends; you don't need to have a relationship. You don't need to put them through this... But wait, if she wants Broadway... That's in New York... Which is where I spend my... It could work... Well, she's a year behind me... So, we could make it work... STOP IT! Don't think years down the road, deal with right now... I sure hope dad isn't mad at me. In a few days it'll be settled down... Yeah right! That's wishful thinking._"

With a few moments left in class, Rachel put her things into her bag and looked at him, "Noah," she reached out and set her hand on his shoulder, "are you alright?"

He turned to look at her and nodded, "yeah, don't know how I managed to take notes and think at the same time," he laughed seeing he had notes on his paper. Pushing it into his binder, he put his things back into his bag and glanced at her, "are you alright?"

Rachel bit her lip, "I'm nervous about what it all means, but you're right. We can't change what happened. I don't want to forget it happened, either," she admitted.

"Good," he nodded with a smile, "so Glee after school and then you'll be free?"

The bell rang so she stood up and slid her bag over her shoulder, "yes. I will have to call my dads and tell them what's going on and I'll need to find out where you live so we can come over, and are we going to have dinner during this meeting?"

"Um, let me write to my dad and find out," he replied, pulling his phone out and ignoring several new messages and went to his dad's to reply, "_home about 4:45. Uh, dinner with them? She wants to know._"

His dad was quick to respond with, "_yes, dinner. Your mom already talked to Finn's mom, so she'll be over, too. Why home so late?_"

Taking a deep breath he replied with, "_joining the Glee Club with Finn and the guys, tell you about it later. Will give Rachel directions and let Finn know._" Standing up he realized Rachel had been waiting so he slid his phone back into his pocket and held out his hand to her, "might as well keep things going," he grinned, "and yes, we'll have dinner, so I'll give you directions to my house."

"Alright," she blushed lightly as they walked out of the classroom, hands held together, and this time, they stopped at her locker first. "I'm going to call my dads and let them know, then I have to get to Glee," she replied.

"Make your calls and I'll meet you back here and walk you, I just have to go drop my stuff off at my locker," he replied.

Rachel nodded, "okay."

Resisting the urge to kiss her cheek, he squeezed her hand gently before he let it go and began to walk down the hall and around the corner, "_what is with you, Puckerman? You just meet this girl and you're acting like you're in love... Maybe it's just a crush... You're attracted to her, so that means something. Just take it one step at a time, straighten things out with the parents and we'll go from there... SHIT! You're meeting her parents tonight... No, her dads! She has two dads? Really?_" Reaching his locker he noticed Finn standing there, "you're coming over tonight after Glee," he commented as he unlocked his locker.

"I have plans with Quinn," Finn retorted.

"Change them, be late, something. Dad told me to bring you, my new 'friend' and her dads to the house after school. I added that I wouldn't be home until later and my manager saw pictures of earlier, so you can guess what it's about," Noah shrugged.

Finn sighed, "fine... What the hell was that anyway? How did you even meet her between the time I saved your ass at lunch and that moment?"

"I went into the auditorium to hide out and she came in there. We talked, she told me she wanted to be a star, I told her I'm sorry she felt that way; she got mad and told me I didn't know anything about it. I told her she didn't know about me. I stormed off and then she found me muttering about loosing four years with my friends and family and I told her to Google my name. She figured it out; she really didn't know who I was. We have fifth and sixth period together, and during fifth she apologized and we talked. She said something about not being sure if I'd want to be seen with her because most normal people don't and I told her I'm not normal, so that led to us holding hands," he explained.

"Okay... wow," Finn stood stunned for a moment, "are you like... So what? Are you two together?"

"We're friends, but... I like her. I know we just met, but I've never felt this way about anyone," he admitted, closing his locker.

"Look, I'm sure I don't have to say this, but just be careful... I don't want either of you hurt. Rachel is a nice girl and she deserves to be happy and so do you. She's not my best friend or anything, but once I got to know her, she seems really cool, and I think... I think you two would be good together, but with your job... It know how fans can be and I would hate for them to bash her," he replied.

"I don't care what my fans think about her, but I know what you mean. We'll be careful. I don't want to hurt her either. I'm sure what happened today is what the 'meeting' is about, no doubt with Elliott on speaker phone to talk about it," he murmured rubbing his forehead.

Finn nodded, "I'll postpone my night with Quinn to come over, and speaking of her, I've gotta go meet her. Do you know how to get to the choir room?"

"Yeah, I'm actually walking Rachel there," he replied, "which means I need to go meet her, too," he motioned towards the direction of her locker.

"See you in a bit," Finn said patting him on the shoulder, before walking away.

Taking a deep breath, Noah headed back in the direction of her locker, thankful that the hallways were pretty empty now from the end of school and found Rachel leaning against hers with her phone in her hand, "hey, did you talk to your par... dads?"

She nodded, "yes, I did. Apparently your mom and my daddy know each other," she replied, "so they already knew about the meeting."

"How is that possible?" Noah asked curiously.

"Your mom is a nurse and works at the same hospital that my daddy is a doctor at. They know each other," she admitted.

"Oh," he bit his lip, "so how did he take it?"

"Well, daddy took it alright, but he hadn't told dad yet; I'm sure he'll be concerned, but okay with it," she replied, lifting her phone up, "smile."

Noah raised a curious eyebrow, but then relaxed and smiled. Her camera made a shutter sound, so he knew she'd taken a picture of him, "what are you doing?"

Rachel dug the golden paper from her purse that had his number on it and put it into her phone; adding the picture she'd just taken to his contact information. Her next step was to send him a text message, "there should be a message from me on your phone now," she smiled, sliding the paper and her phone back into her bag.

"Oh," he laughed and tugged out his phone, seeing a message from a number he didn't have in his phone yet. Before he read it he took a picture of her, and then read her text, saved her number and added the picture he'd taken to her info, "picture phones... Got to love them for this, but I hate them for what they did earlier," he commented, sending a message back to her and then slid his phone back into his pocket. "Off to Glee now?" He asked holding out his hand.

"Yes," she nodded, taking his hand in hers, "what did you want to talk to me about 'alone,' after school?"

"Oh, um," he guided them towards the court yard nearby and he motioned towards a bench. Taking the hint, she sat down, "I just wanted to tell you that," he rubbed his neck nervously and sat down, straddling the bench, "I don't know what's going to be asked today, but I don't want you to get freaked out," he bit his lip, "there's something here."

"What do you mean?" She questioned curiously, unsure what he was getting at.

"I don't know what it means, exactly, but this morning when I saw that guy throw the slushy on you and everyone just kind of froze and didn't do anything, it pissed me off. Then all through weight training, as the guys I'm friends with told me about the slushies and who gets hit, I got even more pissed for the fact that you got hit and I didn't even know you and when I did speak to you, you snapped my head off," he laughed. "Then when we talked in the auditorium, our little disagreement, or whatever you wanna call it, it really bothered me and I figured it out, well I think I did at least, I'm attracted to you, too," he admitted, remembering she had said something similar earlier.

Her eyes blinked several times, her mind trying to form some sort of response, but she was so shocked that she couldn't think straight, but as she came back to reality, she looked at him, "you're... attracted... to me?"

"Yes," he nodded, unsure what to do.

"You're attracted to me... Of all the girls in the... world? Of all the girls who are falling all over you; you come home and on your first day of school you become attracted to me? The school freak? Are you sure? I mean, have you seen the Cheerios yet?" She asked, her heart racing as she spoke to him, several emotions running through her at the moment.

"You're not the school freak and yes, I am serious," he reached over and took her hand in his, "I know we just met, but we both agree we're attracted to each other, what's wrong with seeing where things go? If anything, we'll be good friends. Rachel, it's worth a shot," he told her honestly.

She took a deep breath, hoping to calm her fluttering heart as she stared at their hands joined together and then she looked up at him. Biting her lip, she nodded, "you're right, it is worth a shot, but Noah, I'm having a really hard time believing this isn't some kind of... joke," she sighed. "You have all these women throwing themselves at you; girls our age begging to be with you, and you pick me, over all of them..."

"Would I join the Glee Club if I cared what people think of me?" He asked softly, "and I don't like girls who throw themselves at me. It's so not cool," he admitted.

"Join Glee Club? What?" She gasped, turning to him with wide eyes, "what do you mean?"

Noah smirked, "my best friend said you guys need a twelfth person; a guy, and I'm a guy, so I'm joining your club."

Rachel jumped up and shook her head, "now I know this is all a joke. Where's the cameras? I'm on Punk'd right? Where's Ashton?" She asked looking around.

It took a moment for him to realize what she was talking about and he just started laughing hard, "no... No Ashton Kutcher around here, I promise, Rachel," he stood up and rested his hands on her shoulders, continuing to laugh, "I'm serious. Come on, I can sing. You heard me today, so why not? It'll give us a chance to hang out and share our passion of music," he smiled.

Looking around and waiting for a moment, she looked back to him, "you're 100% serious, aren't you?" She asked softly.

"Yes, I am," he paused and then grinned, "if someone you know told you what I've always said about dating, would you believe me then?"

"What do you mean?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"I want you to meet my best friend," he told her, "come on," he added, slipping his hand in hers and guiding her out of the courtyard.

"Why?"

"Because I think if he told you what I've always said about dating, you'll realize I'm serious," he said calmly, but then burst out laughing, "Punk'd, really?"

She blushed, "well, it was the first thing that popped in my head, Noah, this isn't funny," she replied, letting him guide her, unsure where they were going. "You're playing with my emotions."

He knew where the choir room was; he'd passed it going to gym, and as they got towards the room, he saw Finn and Quinn just going inside.

"Noah, why are we going to the choir room? I thought you wanted me to meet your best friend," she said, thoroughly confused.

Letting her go inside first, their hands clasp together, he looked at Finn, "Finn, come here a second," Noah said motioning him over.

Finn moved from his seat, "what's up, bro?" He asked walking towards them.

Noah guided them back out into the hall and down a ways so they would be away from prying ears, "Rachel, meet my best friend Finn Hudson. Finn, I believe you know Rachel," he said looking between the two.

"Uh, yeah we know each other. You know this, dude," Finn laughed, "what's going on?"

Unable to speak from shock, Rachel managed a nod, to at least let them know she heard.

"Finn, would you please tell Rachel what I have always said about dating," Noah requested.

Finn thought for a moment, trying to remember just what he was talking about, "oh yeah! Noah will never date a girl who meets him as Puck," Finn replied, "so, no fans. He's never had a girlfriend."

Rachel's mouth fell open as she stared at the two of them, "you're not... You've never... You're just saying that, Finn," she stumbled with her words.

Finn shook his head, "no, I'm not. I'm being honest with you," he replied looking at his friend, "why am I being honest with Rachel about your lack of dating?" He asked curiously.

"Because I'm trying to tell her I like her and she doesn't believe me because I have thousands of girls begging to date me," he said with a laugh. "I figured if the truth came from someone she knew she'd believe it more," he finished. "Oh, she's still waiting for the Punk'd cameras and Ashton Kutcher to pop out."

Finn started laughing with his best friend for a second, but when Rachel's expression didn't change, he sobered quickly, and pulled out his phone. Looking through a few photos he found one of them together, Noah, with a mohawk, "I spent a week this summer in New York with him and his family," Finn turned the phone around and showed her, "we've known each other since kindergarten, so yeah, believe me, he's never had a girlfriend or I would have been the first to know about it," he smirked.

Noah blushed a little at his words, but nodded, "see, I'm being serious, Rachel," he told her.

Rachel nodded, "I see that," she admitted.

Finn looked between them and then down at their joined hands, "look, I'm gonna say the same thing to you, that I told him a little while ago. I think you two would be good together, but I also don't want to see either of you hurt. You're pretty cool, Rachel, but Noah's job is stressful and his fans can be pretty brutal, so I don't want to see you hurt because of something they said. I also don't want to see my best friend hurt because you break up with him just because of his fans or something work related, so be careful," he explained. "It's almost time for Glee, so talk or whatever, but I'm sure you don't want to be late, Rachel," Finn patted them on the shoulder before turning and walking back to the choir room.

Once Finn was gone, Noah looked at Rachel, "so, now that you heard what my best friend had to say, do you think seeing where things go is worth it?" He asked softly.

Rachel turned, staring up at him, "yes, I think it's worth it, but what does this mean for us now? How do you want to work this?" She motioned between them.

"I think we should do this," he motioned to their hands still held together, "hang out, study together, talk, find out each others interests and see where things go, but I, for one, want the rest of the guys in the school to know you're off the market, and I'm sure you'd like the girls to know I'm taken," he added, "so as much as I want to say take it slow, and we don't have to label it, we should still agree on something," he explained.

She took a deep breath and nodded, "all relationships have to start somewhere, and if we became friends, we might not want to be any more in case it ruined our friendship, so I think we should say we are boyfriend and girlfriend, but still take it slow. I've never had a boyfriend, so this is all new territory for me, but I really want to get to know you and I agree that I would like the girls to know you're taken, too," she whispered.

Nodding, he smiled, "taking it slow, works for me. It's all new territory for me, too," he added, "so boyfriend and girlfriend?" He asked.

Rachel nodded, "yes, boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Cool," he grinned.

"_This is a first for me... I have a boyfriend! I really have a boyfriend and he's the most popular boy in school! No... In the... US? North America? The World? I really hope I'm not dreaming all this and if I am, I don't wanna wake up!_" Her mind screamed, as she tried not to squeal in excitement.

...

A/N4: Giggles, I couldn't help putting that in there with Ashton; for those of you who don't know or remember; Ashton Kutcher; a comedic actor, and had a show on MTV called Punk'd (not sure if it's still on or not), but he would meet with friends of a celebrity and he and the friends would come up with a way to prank a celebrity. One of his first ever episodes was punking Justin Timberlake and making him think that his house in LA was being foreclosed and Justin's mom and his best friend were in on it; the movers there to pack up his stuff was all fake, the boxes were fake and just when Justin started freaking out, out pops Ashton and Justin's mom and friend... Though Rachel isn't a celebrity, I couldn't help it, hehe.

A/N5: Wow! Got a chapter of 'Out of the Blue' posted and then just a few hours later I get one of 'Starlight' posted; wow, I'm on a roll ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Not beta'd; all mistakes are mine. Please mention them if you find any.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: When Noah and Rachel's families are mentioned, those of you who are reading my fic 'Out of the Blue' will notice the same character names. When I started writing it, I took time to choose the names I wanted for their parents and Noah's sister, and they have grown on me so much, that no matter what fic I write, I'm going to stick with the same names and professions; the only change (in this one) is that Rachel's dad, David, is going to be a medical doctor in this one, not a psychologist like he is in 'Out of the Blue'.

A/N5: Some mentioned things happened fast; but it will all be explained in this chapter and the next one.

...

The two teens made their way back to the choir room, and stepped inside, heading right for the empty seats in the front row; Noah taking a seat between Rachel and Finn. Once everyone was there, Mr. Schuester came out of his office, "hey, Noah, you made it. Finn told me you were up for joining; I've gotta say I'm shocked," he admitted.

"Good thing you didn't chicken out," Matt laughed from the back.

"I don't chicken out, Rutherford," Noah smirked, nodding at Will, "yeah, I made it."

"You're joining the club?" Kurt gasped, "oh my God!" He exclaimed.

"I have to say, that while I am surprised, it will be good to have a very dominant male voice in the club, no offense, Finn," Artie said.

"None taken, he can sing a hell of a lot better than I can," Finn shrugged, "Noah, this is Artie, and that's Tina and I think you already know everyone else," he said glancing around.

Noah nodded at the only two he hadn't met yet, "nice to meet you both. And thanks, Artie, for the compliment."

"You're welcome," Artie nodded at him.

"Not that we don't need another person, but I thought you were taking a break from music," Tina said.

"I'm taking a break from the recording industry, not music itself," he explained.

"I, for one, am very glad to have you in here, and honored that you'd be up for this. I didn't think you'd be into this type of performance group," Will admitted.

"I usually hide behind a guitar or piano, but I've been known to dance a little here and there. Though sometimes I've also been know to have two left feet, so we'll see how things go," he laughed.

"At least you know your rights from your lefts," Finn muttered, a blush growing on his cheeks.

"Still haven't figured that out yet, dude?" Noah asked his friend, "how long have we been working on that?"

"Dude, shut up!" Finn nudged him playfully.

"You shut up!" Noah retorted, a grin on his face, nudging him back.

"Uh, guys, could you focus up here?" Will laughed.

"Sorry, Mr. Schue," Finn laughed.

With it being the first practice since the previous school year, and they were missing a twelfth person; since Noah didn't know the dance steps, Will had the other eleven run through 'Don't Stop Believin' to give Noah an idea as he read over the sheet music. Rachel agreed that she'd help him with the steps and then Will passed out two new songs that he thought the club would be interested in singing; 'Somebody to Love' and 'Last Name.' Wanting them to work on the music a little before they sang the songs, Will let them out earlier than normal, so it was just after four. As soon as Will had told them Glee was over for the day, Rachel pulled out her phone and looked at her messages, "Noah, are you ready to go? I just got a message from my daddy. He and dad are already at your house, so they want me to follow you home," Rachel said.

"Really? I'm ready to go," he nodded, glancing at Finn, "you wanna follow us, too?"

Finn shrugged, "sure, don't matter. Gonna walk Quinn out. Are you leaving right now?"

He motioned towards his backpack under his chair, "yeah, in the next few minutes, or whenever Rachel is ready," he said.

Rachel looked in her bag, "I have everything I need," she agreed.

Standing up, Noah grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder, then held out his hand for her, "alright, then, lets go," he said, "sooner I get yelled at, the better," he sighed.

She took his hand and stood up, putting her bag over her shoulder, "see you guys tomorrow," Rachel said, waving with her free hand to the few that were still left in the room as Quinn, Finn, Rachel and Noah walked out of the choir room and towards the front of the school.

Finn had his arm around Quinn's shoulders, but turned to look at his friend, "I'll just head out there and meet you," Finn said.

Noah nodded, "alright, see ya," he replied.

Finn and Quinn headed off in the direction of their cars, while Rachel motioned in the direction of hers; a row over from Noah's, "I will let my dads know we are on our way," Rachel told him as she pulled out her cell phone and let go of his hand so she could text. As she finished with her message, she put her phone away and couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips.

"What's so funny?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"So much for taking it slow. We're meeting the parents in a little while," she admitted.

He nodded, "yeah, I realized that earlier," he said, "but at least it's all at once, so we can get it over with," he laughed as they paused at a car.

She blushed, "yes, I suppose that is a good way of looking at it," she agreed, tugging her keys from her bag and unlocking the door of the car they were standing by; putting her stuff in the backseat.

"My parents and sister will love you, that's all that matters; well that and I don't want your dads to kill me," he commented, rubbing his neck nervously. "You have two dads?"

"Yes. They are gay; do you have a problem with that?" She asked concerned.

"Oh no!" He shook his head, "not in the way you think," he ducked his head, "I don't have a problem with them being gay... Just that you have two of them... And I'm sure they're not going to be happy with me, so it's kinda scary."

Rachel giggled, "well, daddy, that's David; he's a doctor at St. Rita's Medical Center, you know, where your mom works, or worked; does she still work there? Daddy said he worked with her, but I didn't know if he meant she didn't work there anymore."

"Yes, she still works there. Only like short shifts so she can take care of my sister," he replied, "go on."

"Oh, yeah, so David is daddy and Alan, is dad. He's a lawyer in town," she finished.

"A lawyer? Ah, crap! One that can kill me and knows how to do it without suspicion and another who could come up with some legal reason-"

"Noah! Stop being so dramatic; they'll like you, don't worry," she assured him resting her hands on his forearms.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, he shifted his hands to take hers in his, "I'm trying not to worry," he replied softly.

"Good, so shall we go?" She asked squeezing his hands.

He nodded, "yeah. I'm the black SUV over there, so I'll wait for you to get behind me. When you get to my place, just park where you can," he added, "I have a remote in my car that opens the gate; it'll stay open until you pass through."

"Gate?" She paused a moment and then realized what he meant, "oh, security gate?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "so I'll see you there," he smiled releasing her hands to pull his keys from his pocket.

Waiting until she got into her car, he headed towards his SUV and got in. Chucking his bag into the passenger seat, he glanced back and noticed her pulling out of her spot, so he followed suit and headed towards the exit. Once he was sure she was behind him, he made his way out of the parking lot and started the drive home.

"_Dude, what's going on? Not even six hours ago you meet her and now you're... You're dating her? Seriously? Talk about way fast! But... You've got to take things slow; she's never had a boyfriend so this is all new to her; just like it is me... I gotta talk to her about this before we go inside... Oh shit... What are they going to ask? This is major,_" he sighed, rubbing his face with his hand, "_you sure screwed up this one, Puckerman. I hope you can fix it... I bet Elliott has already had a heart attack and is waiting on the second one,_" he thought as he finally pulled onto his street.

The street itself was lined with trees of all shapes and sizes, but homes could be seen within the trees, large front yards separating the road from the homes. Getting a little further down the street, he slowed his car down when a black metal fence was seen sitting just off the road. He hit the button clipped on his visor and moments later, the gate slid open and once it was wide enough for his SUV to slip through, he turned into his driveway and drove in, making sure Rachel was right behind him, which she was, so she made it before the gate started closing.

There was one way into his house and that was along that driveway, but at the house, they had a looped driveway, allowing them to turn around without backing up much. Driving up to the two story, six bedroom house, he opened the garage door where he usually parked and pulled right inside, while Rachel parked along the loop.

Getting out, he grabbed his stuff and walked out of the garage, hitting the lock button on his keys and glanced down towards the gate to make sure it was shut. Rachel walked towards him and he met her half way, motioning towards the grass on the other side of the garage, away from the house, "we should talk before we go in," he said.

"About what?" She asked concerned as he led her towards the lawn.

"Do you realize that in less than six hours we made our status 'boyfriend and girlfriend'?" He asked calmly.

Rachel bit her lip and nodded, "yes, I realized that on the way here. It... We... It was pretty fast. Do you want to change things now?" She asked softly.

"No," he shook his head, "I just want to make sure you're alright with it," he explained resting his hands on her shoulders, "because I want the world to know we're taken, but neither of us have been in a relationship before, so this is all new for both of us. We need to take things slow, I want to be friends first," he whispered, "let everyone else think what they want, but we know where we stand."

"I agree," she nodded, "it is none of anyone's business, but we need to agree on our relationship. I also want to take things slow... Saying we're boyfriend and girlfriend means a lot of things, but we hardly know anything about the other, except that we have some sort of feelings for each other. Yes, friends first, and we'll see where things go?"

"Yes, perfect. I'm glad we do agree," he smiled and took her hand in his, "because I'm sure we're going to be asked if we're crazy for jumping into a relationship so soon, but if we explain that we're taking things really slow to get to know each other, they probably won't be as pissed," he said softly.

"Will they... Will they be mad at me?" She bit her lip.

"No," he shook his head, "it'll be on me," he admitted.

She took a deep breath, glanced down at their hands, "ready?"

"No, I was thinking we could stay out here a while longer," he admitted.

"Noah, I thought you said the sooner you get yelled at the better," she nudged him a little with her free hand and tugged him towards the driveway.

He groaned, "fine, but if your dads want to kill me, I'm standing behind you," he muttered, taking the lead and heading to the driveway, and then into the open garage door and over to the door leading into the house. He pressed a button on the wall and the garage door began to close, plunging the room into darkness, but he quickly pushed open the door to the house and guided them inside, first coming into a small hallway that had the washer and dryer. Passing through they reached the main area in the house and he stopped by the stairs to drop his backpack and jacket at the bottom; Rachel adding her bag next to his stuff. Moving forward a little they came around the corner and stepped into the living room, finding his mom, dad and sister, Finn and his mom and two men he didn't recognize. "Hey," he said biting his lip.

Rachel stepped around him nervously and looked over the room, her eyes widening, "Debbie?" She exclaimed. "You're Noah's mom?"

Noah did a double take at his girlfriend and his mom and then his mouth fell open, "how do you... what did I miss?" He gasped.

"Why don't you guys come sit down," Deborah laughed motioning towards the empty couch across the room.

Glancing at Rachel, the two moved to sit down and Noah glanced at his mom. "Would someone please explain this to me?" Noah requested.

Finn just started laughing, "dude, you're gonna think this is hilarious; because I sure do. I knew Lima was small, but not _that_ small."

Noah just glared at his friend for a moment, "I'm not laughing, dude." Finn quieted down and Noah turned his attention to his mom, "what is going on?"

"Well, first, Noah, these are Rachel's dads, David and Alan, and Rachel this is my husband Ethan and our daughter Arin," Deborah said quickly making introductions, "and this is Finn's mom, Carole," Deborah motioned towards Carole, knowing that Rachel wouldn't know her. After the introductions, Deborah started, "Noah, do you remember when I told you that I found out one of the doctors I had been working with was Jewish?"

"Yeah," he shrugged, "it's been a while, though," he commented.

"Well, David is the doctor I was talking about," Deborah explained.

"Didn't you want to... Weren't you trying to set me up with... Wait a second, that... You were... Rachel?" Noah's eyes got wide, "are you serious?"

Deborah nodded, a grin on her face, "yes. Though I've known about Rachel for a while, I didn't meet her until June," Deborah explained, "but yes, we were trying to set you two up," Deborah added motioning between her and David.

Glancing at Rachel next to him and then back to his mom, he realized something, "so the wild goose chase we went on in New York for Broadway stuff, for your _friend_, was for Rachel?" Noah asked quickly.

Deborah nodded, "yes, it was."

"Why didn't you say anything? Mom!" Noah exclaimed, staring at her.

"Because every time I'd bring up the topic of dating or meeting a girl to be friends, you'd change the subject or not want to talk about it so I gave up," she retorted.

"Daddy!" Rachel exclaimed, "is Noah the boy you kept talking about who would be going to McKinley this year and I should meet him and invite him to join the Glee Club because he liked music?" Rachel asked.

"Yes he is," David admitted, "but apparently neither one of us needed to do any kind of setting up because he joined the club and you two met and seem to be getting along," he grinned, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Rachel's eyes widened, "did you know who he was back then?"

"Yes, of course I did. Who doesn't know who 'Puck' is?" David replied.

"Rachel didn't," Finn and Noah said at the same time. "She had to Google my name," Noah added.

"Well, I don't listen to pop music," Rachel admitted.

Rachel's other dad, Alan smirked, "this from someone who blasts Hannah Montana."

Rachel blushed, sinking down into the couch, "she has some good music," she defended.

"I did not hear you say those words," Noah muttered glaring at Rachel.

"You like Hannah Montana?" Arin asked with a grin, "you should come over and watch the movie sometime!"

Noah shook his head and rubbed his face, "back to the topic at hand. So you both have been trying to set us up for awhile... Why the hell haven't we met before?"

"Well, your tour didn't end until July, and you just came home less than a month ago," Deborah commented. "I didn't want to push you with anything right away because I knew you'd get all defensive and shut down like you always do; since we weren't getting any positive responses from either of you, we figured once you got back into school, if you two hadn't met, we'd set up something and see what happens. Like David said, it looks as though we didn't need to do anything," she explained

"Speaking of 'seeing what happens', what is happening?" Ethan asked curiously.

Glancing at Rachel, Noah took a deep breath and then took her hand in his, "_here goes nothing; good luck,_" Noah thought, "we know we just met and we're taking things really slow, but we're saying we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

"What?" Deborah exclaimed.

Ethan rested a hand on her knee, "define taking things 'really slow'," he requested.

Noah looked to his parents and then her dads, "this is new for both of us and using the titles of 'girlfriend' and 'boyfriend' is pretty quick, but it's more for, I suppose you could say appearances," he admitted, rubbing his neck nervously, "we want to get to know each other and see where things go; if people know we're together, it won't raise suspicion when we're seen together. People can think what they want, but her and I, along with our close friends and family know the truth," he explained. "This way, if we get closer and find more in common, then no one will be surprised. If things don't go well and we figure we're not suited for each other, we can 'break-up', and no one would see anything unusual about it."

Rachel squeezed his hand, "it also gives us an opportunity to take things at our own pace and no one will have to know what our pace is."

Ethan leaned forward and rubbed his hands over his face, "it seems you have got things thought out, but... You know Elliott is going to want to know what's going on. What do you want me to tell him?"

"I really don't care," Noah said, "tell him we met today and hit it off and are dating. We'll see how things go from there," he shrugged, "does he have to know any more?"

"He's going to want to know about Rachel, and Rachel, you may want to make your Facebook and MySpace pages private. Change your password on your e-mail and don't give out your address or phone numbers," Ethan added.

"Um, alright." Rachel bit her lip, "well, our home address and phone number is not listed in a phone book, because of dad and daddy's professions, and I don't give out my phone number to anyone unless I trust them, so that won't be hard. As for email and my social networking accounts, I can easily protect them," she agreed. "Who is Elliott?" She asked curiously; the name had been thrown around a few times and no one had said who, but she assumed he was his manager.

"Elliott Case is my manager," Noah said. "Why are you so concerned about her contact information?" He asked his dad.

Deborah looked at him, "if any of them get out, she's going to start getting calls or emails and they won't be pretty."

Noah rubbed his face and nodded, looking at Rachel, "if you get any, you've got to tell me."

Rachel nodded, "I will," she agreed.

"This isn't how I expected this conversation to go," Noah admitted, "but I think it's better this way."

Ethan laughed, "you haven't talked to Elliott yet. I got an ear full when you blew him off."

"I was in class!" Noah snapped.

"Hey, don't go snapping at me. We're on your side," Ethan held up his hands in defense.

"Sorry dad, but damn it! Why can't he just leave me alone for a day?"

"He would have if he hadn't seen the pictures," he replied, "Noah, like it or not, you're still under contract with Elliott and the record label, so you've got to answer to them just like you have to answer to us as your family and friends. I'll deal with Elliott for now, but you're going to have to talk to him sooner or later."

"Thanks," Noah replied, looking at his dad. "What are you going to tell him?"

Ethan slid forward on the couch and looked at them, "I'm going to tell him that your mom and Rachel's dad work together at the hospital and they have been trying to set you guys up for a while, but you hadn't met yet. Coincidentally you guys met at school today and hit it off," he shrugged, "he doesn't need to know more than that right now. Do you want me to be the one to break the news that you joined Glee Club, too, or do you want to do that?" Ethan asked with a grin.

"Tell him," Noah nodded, "I don't wanna do that."

Rachel bit her lip, "I know this might sound like a weird question, but is it legal for him to be in the club? We perform songs from various Broadway musicals to pop and everything. We need another guy and Noah will fit great with us, but if he's unable to, we need to look for someone else."

Ethan nodded in understanding, "he can be a member. He's not making any money off of it and it's a school club. The music you guys perform is all licensed to be distributed to the public with permission, so it's free game for anyone. It's no different than if he joined the school choir or band."

Rachel exhaled, smiling, "good, that's good. I didn't even think about it until just now."

"I had. I wouldn't have agreed to join if I legally couldn't. I'd thought of joining the band or choir," Noah admitted, "but Glee Club seems more fun," he smirked.

Deborah stood up, "alright, so now that is over with, come eat. Carole and I made lasagna."

"Our favorite," Finn and Noah replied, both grinning as they stood up.

"How long have you been friends?" Rachel asked standing up with everyone else.

"Kindergarten," Noah replied.

Making their way towards the dinning room, Rachel nodded, "that is nice guys. I didn't know you two knew each other at all."

Finn shrugged, "everyone knows my best friend is a guy named Noah, but I never said any more; I don't see him as a pop star or anything, but now people are figuring it out."

Passing through the dinning room to the kitchen, Rachel was looking around, "_this is so normal. There's no fancy decorations or big expensive pieces of artwork, reminds me of my house... but larger,_" she thought.

"You should see our basement. That's my domain," Noah realized she was looking around the house, "that's where all my awards are," he commented, "and some other things."

"What other things?" Rachel asked.

"Workout stuff, dance studio and a recording studio; well not a full one, but enough for me to play around with stuff and get a good feel for how the song will sound," he replied.

Rachel's eyes widened, "what? You have all that downstairs?"

"Yeah, it's why we bought this house. Had a large basement, so we could put all that in," he said.

"I thought you said you didn't dance," Rachel commented.

He smirked, "dad, do we have any extra copies of my DVDs and CDs?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, they're in the storage room off the studio," he replied with a laugh.

"Cool, I'll dig them out. Rachel, you have homework," Noah grinned.

Passing out plates of pieces of lasagna, the teens moved into the living room, while the rest ate in the dinning room. Rachel had been nervous when they first arrived, but after finding out who his mom was and just what their parents had been attempting, she felt more comfortable around the house. "_It could be because they were planning to set us up all along, but maybe it's because he is so normal... He and Finn; best friends? It's so easy to see when they're around each other... Dad and daddy seem alright about all this, but I suppose we'll see when I get home... Noah's parents are... Debbie is great, and his dad seems pretty nice and concerned about Noah... Arin is cute. I wish I had a sibling... I think we'll get along great..._"

"Rachel, are you done?" Noah asked.

"Yes," she nodded, breaking from her thoughts to see her empty plate in her hands.

He smiled and took the plate from her and headed towards the kitchen, returning to the living room moments later and sat down next to her again, "you okay?"

"Yes, I am. Just been a very interesting day," she admitted.

"Yeah, it has been," he agreed leaning back.

Finn was sitting on another couch, "I think it's been funny. You should have seen your faces when you figured out that your parents were trying to set you up," he laughed.

Rachel blushed, "that was a shock."

"Tell me about it," Noah muttered, looking up to see her dads come into the living room. "Sirs," he said sitting up a little straighter.

The two men laughed lightly at him, "you can call us David and Alan, Noah, it's alright."

Rachel got up and moved towards her dads, hugging them both; since her arrival at the house, she hadn't had much time to speak to them, but she knew a conversation would come once they got home.

"We're coming in to say goodnight. We're going to head home. We have some things to take care of before we go to bed tonight," David said.

"Oh alright, may I stay longer?" Rachel asked.

"Of course. We figured you two would want to talk without the parents around anyway," Alan laughed, "just don't come home too late. It's a school night. Ten or so."

"Okay," Rachel nodded hugging them again.

Noah stood up and moved around the couch, "it's nice to meet you both. I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of you now," he admitted.

"Yes, you will," David agreed, "you're welcome at the house anytime and don't think you're getting out of a discussion with us," he added with a grin.

"I knew we would talk at some point," he replied honestly, a blush covering his face.

The two fathers shook his hand and after saying goodnight to the rest of the house, they left. Finn and Carole stayed a bit longer, but were the next to leave; Finn wanting to go see Quinn before he went home for the night.

...

A/N6: It's been almost a week since I posted and RL is getting into the way of writing at times, but I'm trying to keep up. Hope you all liked this chapter! As I started writing it, I came up with the idea and I thought I'd run with it. My dad grew up in a small town and everyone knew everyone, so I thought, well why not change the 'game plan' a little, LOL. Let me know what you think! I wrote and re-wrote the family meeting several times, LOL. Took me forever, hehe.

A/N7: This had been twice as long, to finish up the night, but I chose to split it up, so that should be coming when I have my next day off (Monday).

A/N8: I have a request... 'Puck' has 3 albums out... Anyone have any suggestions of songs that you could imagine him singing (keeping in mind he's a teen pop star). I have a lot, but would love to see some suggestions. Mention them in a review OR you can PM me; it'd be appreciated!

...


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Not beta'd; all mistakes are mine. Please mention them if you find any.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: Same notes as last chapter... Family names are the same as in my other fic, 'Out of the Blue'.

A/N5: This was originally part of chapter 4, but I split it up, so this chapter should explain the rest of why things moved a tad faster than expected.

...

Once the guests had left, leaving Rachel as the only non-family member in the house, she quickly noticed how quiet it was; even with everyone still up. His sister said goodnight to them, hugging her brother and Rachel before heading upstairs to get ready for bed, Deborah was still in the kitchen and Ethan had gone upstairs to call Elliott, which gave Noah and Rachel some alone time. Standing up from the couch they were sitting on, Noah held his hand out to her, "come on, lets go downstairs," he smiled.

"Okay," Rachel took his hand and stood up, letting him guide her downstairs.

As she reached the final step she noticed it opened into a medium-sized room that was set up like a living room with several pieces of exercise equipment scattered around, but the items on the walls or on shelves around the room is what drew her attention. They were not typical decorations; five brightly colored surfboards hung on one wall, with plaques and framed CDs and DVDs scattered around the room. On the shelves were various sized awards, but the surfboards had her curious.

"The surfboards are my Teen Choice Awards. I got one in 2006, 2007, 2008 and two about three weeks ago," he commented when he realized she was looking at them.

Rachel turned to him, "what did you win them for?" She asked.

"In 2006, I was voted 'Choice New Artist', 2007 was for 'Choice Male Artist'. I won 'Choice Music Single' in 2008 and this year, 2009, I won for 'Choice Album,' and," he blushed rubbing his neck.

"And what?" She asked curiously, "what else did you win for?"

" 'Choice Male Hottie'," he mumbled, "uh, yeah, I wasn't expecting that one."

"Congratulations," she smiled.

"Thanks," he returned her smile and took her hand, "Finn and I usually hang down here and watch TV and play games," he said motioning towards the TV and the game systems attached to it, "so we don't have to be in my room or fight the family over the TV upstairs," he added, walking towards a door and pushed it open, reaching his free hand in to flip on the lights.

"Oh wow," she smiled, stepping around him and into the room; the familiar feeling of a dance studio coming to mind as she stepped onto the hardwood floor and looked at herself in the mirrors covering one wall.

"It's not huge, but it works for me and a few people," he shrugged, "though I don't always dance, it's nice to set up a mic and sing through songs and get a feel of how I want to perform them," he admitted.

Rachel nodded, "that makes perfect sense. But I thought you lived in New York," she said, "so why all of this here?" She asked as she returned to him.

The two stepped out of the room, "I'm here as much as I can be, a week here and there, a few days, a weekend, but it's usually not a long time, but when I am, I still sometimes have to work, and now it's going to be great, because I can come up with music, or dance for fun," he smiled. "Come on, lets go see the studio," he said guiding her the other direction. Pushing open another door, he took her down a hallway about halfway and then opened another door and reached in to flip on the lights before stepping inside. "It's basic, but it works for what I need," he commented.

Moving into the room, Rachel looked around. Computers and sound boards lined one wall, a glass window separating the room they were in from the recording booth, set up with several microphones, a drum set and keyboard, "this is amazing. I've never been in any kind of recording studio, but I've seen them on TV."

"Thanks," he smiled. "I've been down here a bit," he motioned towards his acoustic-electric guitar, "playin' with chords, but nothing major. I like not having to rush through everything," he added, moving towards another door. "You're welcome to come in here," he laughed, "but it might involve me cussing if I can't find what I'm looking for."

"What are you looking for?" She asked following him into the storage room, "oh, your CDs and DVDs?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't have them, since you didn't know who I was, so your homework is to listen to and watch them," he moved further into the lighted room and looked around. "They shouldn't be too hard to find," he admitted.

"No hurry, we have plenty of time. Would you like some help?" She asked.

He shrugged, "nah, it's okay. Surprisingly I already see what I need," he moved forward and pushed a few plastic tubs out of the way and reached a stack of boxes with 'CD' marked on the side with a number. Taking the first box, he opened it up and found his first album staring back at him, "wow, I haven't looked at these in forever," he muttered taking out a copy and looking at the cover before setting it aside and doing the same with the next two boxes. Once the boxes were put back, he moved towards Rachel and handed her the albums, "now, just gotta find the DVDs."

"Actually, I think they are over there," she motioned off to her right at two boxes marked 'DVD1' and 'DVD2'.

"Good eye," he smiled, moving in the direction of the boxes. "My first DVD is a compilation of music videos and behind the scenes footage from my first two albums, some videos of when I was touring around meeting fans," he said opening the first box and taking a copy out and then moved the box to get into the second one, "the other DVD is my first official concert tour; well my first headlining one. I just finished my second headlining tour back in July, so the DVD should be coming out soon. Haven't gotten a drop date for it yet." He moved back and handed them to her, but then went to a box he had seen moments earlier and popped it open, "do you like stuffed animals?"

She raised a curious eyebrow at him, "yes I do, why?"

He smiled, "close your eyes."

"Okay," she closed her eyes and listened to what he was doing, hearing him digging around in plastic and then more rustling. The lid of the box closed and she heard footsteps and realized he was coming closer to her and then she felt something soft against her cheek. Her eyes opened and she was staring at a light brown teddy bear with a brown mohawk on it's head. The bear had on a red football jersey with 'PUCK' written in white with the number '20' just below it and also on the back. "Oh, he's so cute," she giggled reaching up to take it from him.

"These sold like crazy from my website last year at the holidays, but I managed to get a couple of cases," he smiled, "the number '20' is the number I've always worn playing sports and it's also my favorite," he explained. "I thought you might like it."

She smiled at him, then looked at the bear in her hands and nodded, "yes, I do like it," she agreed, "McKinley colors?"

He nodded, "yep. The bear had been in the works for a while, but we didn't think of the jersey until after I started playing football and somehow they managed to get them ready for the holiday season," he motioned towards the door.

"It's a good idea. I'm sure a lot of your fans enjoy them," she replied stepping back into the studio, "thank you for all of these, you didn't have to do this," she told him.

"It's no problem, Rachel," he assured her, moving towards the small desk and dug out a pair of scissors. Reaching for the CDs and DVDs in her hands, he opened each one with ease and sat down at the desk chair and motioned to the chair next to him, "have a seat."

"What are you going to do?" She asked, taking a seat, holding the bear in her lap.

"It wouldn't be a gift from the artist without his autograph," he admitted with a grin.

Rachel blushed, "I'm gonna have to get used to this," she whispered, "it seems so... I feel like this day has been... has been a dream," she admitted, looking at the bear in her lap.

Noah had just finished signing the book cover from his first CD when she said that, so he turned his attention to her, "I can assure you it's not a dream," he smiled, reaching over to take her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

Even with just their hands clasp together, she could feel tingling throughout her body and a warmth that seemed to intensify every time they touched, "you're right, it's not," she agreed, placing her other hand on top of his for a moment. "Noah, would you... would you play me something?" She requested.

"Sure, let me finish this and I'll take requests," he replied, taking his hand back so he could continue the task he had been doing. He replaced the first book back into the CD case and handed it to her and then continued on.

Rachel stared at his short, but readable autograph, and then noticed the three letters below his name, "what's N.A.P.?"

"Stands for Noah Aaron Puckerman," he replied, "I add my initials to things I sign for friends and family," he explained, handing her the other two CDs and moved onto the DVDs. Taking the paper from the outside plastic, he signed each cover and replaced them in the correct case before handing them to her, "now, in about fifty years those might be collectors items," he laughed, "so be careful with them."

Rachel giggled, "collectors items? Really?"

"Worth a shot, right?" He grinned and stood up, grabbing his guitar from where it had been sitting and motioned towards the door, "come on, lets go get comfortable on the couch," he suggested.

Standing up, Rachel moved out of the room first and made her way down the hallway until she reached the living area, "down here or upstairs?"

"Down here. Won't wake my sister up as easy," he replied, moving around to sit down on the couch.

She sat the discs in her hands down on the small table by the couch, and then laid the bear on top of them before taking a seat near him, pulling her legs up and got comfortable, just as he had, his back against the arm of the couch, one of his legs curled under him while his other foot rested on the ground, his guitar sitting in his lap. "Open for requests," he smiled at her.

Rachel bit her lip, "well, since I don't know any of your music yet, maybe something I'm familiar with," she said, "or you pick."

Closing his eyes for a moment, he thought about what she said, "something you're familiar with... Alright, I think I can manage that," he replied, hitting a few strings with his pick and situating himself so he was more comfortable. "You should recognize this," he said taking a deep breath and letting his fingers strum along the strings, a light sound filling the room, "_every time I think I'm closer to the heart of what it means to know just who I am. I think I've finally found a better place to start, but no one ever seems to understand. I need to try to get to where you are. Could it be you're not that far... You're the voice I hear inside my head; the reason that I'm singin'. I need to find you, I gotta find you. You're the missing piece I need, the song inside of me. I need to find you, I gotta find you. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,_" he kept his eyes on her, but they drifted closed several times as he focused on the words, "_you're the remedy I'm searching hard to find to fix the puzzle that I see inside. Painting all my dreams the color of your smile. When I find you it will be alright. I need to try to get to where you are. Could it be you're not that far... You're the voice I hear inside my head; the reason that I'm singin'. I need to find you, I gotta find you. You're the missing piece I need, the song inside of me. I need to find you, I gotta find you,_" he finished singing, hitting a few final chords before letting the sound fade, until the room was plunged into silence; neither one speaking right away.

As she listened, within the first few words, she recognized the song. The song she'd sang at school was from the same movie and the male part of that song, was actually from the song he'd just sung to her and she couldn't help the tears fill her eyes at the emotion from the meaning of the words, but also from watching how easily he played, and what kind of passion he was putting into the song. "That was beautiful, Noah, thank you," she smiled at him.

"You're welcome," he replied, gently setting his guitar down and sliding closer to her, "why are you crying?" He asked softly, reaching up to wipe her eyes.

"It's... It's a very emotional song," she whispered, leaning her head into his hand, a strong warmth emanating from their connection.

"_I know what would make this even more perfect,_" Noah thought before taking a deep breath, and with his hand still against her cheek, gently guided her towards him while he leaned forward, and for the first time since they'd met, they shared their first kiss.

When their lips touched, Rachel's eyes fell closed, feeling like a Fourth of July fireworks show was going off behind her eyelids. "_Your first kiss!_" Rachel's mind exclaimed as she tried not to bounce from happiness.

He felt sparks igniting fires in his senses as their lips remained in a gentle kiss. His hand moved from where it had been against her cheek to her shoulder before sliding down her arm to take her hand in his, just as their lips parted. A smile tugging at his lips as he opened his eyes to look at her.

Slowly opening her eyes, she smiled, looking down at their hands laced together. A blush grew on her cheeks, "that was..."

"I felt fireworks," he admitted, brushing his other hand against her cheek.

"I did as well," she nodded, a smile on her face, "it was my," she paused nervously, but then took a deep breath, "it was my first kiss."

"First of many from me, I hope," he whispered, "and it was mine, too," he admitted, a blush growing on his face, "given the popularity, you might think that's not true, but I never wanted to -"

Rachel lifted her hand and pressed a finger to his lips, "I believe you, Noah, you don't have to explain," she whispered.

He smiled, nodding at her as he shifted to wrap his arms around her in a hug, "thanks."

Settling against his strong chest, she returned his hug and soaked in the moment. Her mind told her they were moving a bit faster than what they had talked about, but her heart told her everything was right, that it was okay to feel the way she did; for once she listened to her heart.

The two pulled away, settling onto the couch in a little more comfortable position, their hands held together between them. "So, tell me about your CDs," she said softly, glancing to the stack near them.

Noah reached over and picked up the stack, "the first album, I didn't have too much say in. I think for it, I sang almost fifty songs or worked on them to various points before the label was satisfied with fifteen of them to put on it. I only picked songs I felt had a good meaning to them or I could relate to, and for my second album, we did almost the same thing, but they let me have a little more say in what went on it, so even though I didn't write them, I got to put some on there I really liked, even if they didn't. My third album," he held it up, "has some songs on it that I wrote. Not all of them, but if didn't write them, then I approved of them. It means more to me than my other two and it's only been out since earlier this year. My goal for my fourth album is to have all of the songs on it be written by me," he explained, setting them aside.

"When are you going to work on... Oh, not until after you graduate?" She asked.

"Yeah, I might go into the studio over breaks from school, but those will also be times for family, so I won't get too much done. It'll probably be a few years before it's out." "_Dude, you've gotta tell her!_" His mind exclaimed and he took a deep breath, "I have a story to tell you," he started.

"You do? About what?" She asked intrigued.

He smiled, "while I was in the studio working on my second album, my producer said he was working on some music for a movie and I thought he meant like a soundtrack. He explained to me what the plot of the movie was and needed an opinion from someone who could relate and I could to a point. When he gave me what he had for the songs, I kind of laughed at him, and he told me '_if you think you can do better, go for it,_' so I did and he loved what I came up with, so between my words and his music," he paused and stood up, their hands still together, "like a year or two later the movie came out and last year the soundtrack went Platinum," he grinned.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) keeps track of how many albums are sold and 'gold' means that the album sold more than five-hundred-thousand; 'platinum' means they sold more than a million. My first two albums are 'Multi-Platinum' right now, which means they each have sold over two million copies. Though it's been less than six months, I think my third album has already passed the Gold status, but anyway," he guided her over to a wall where large frames hung; the pictures being the same as his album covers; each with a specific colored CD set into the picture with a gold plate with words etched into it with information on the milestone. "So the album I'm talking to you about is this one," he motioned to the last one, and waited for her reaction.

Rachel turned her attention towards the one he was pointing at and froze, seeing a very familiar CD cover; a CD that she had in her room and she stepped closer to read the description on the bottom. "_Presented to Noah 'Puck' Puckerman to commemorate RIAA Certified Platinum sales of more than 1 Million copies of the Walt Disney Records' album: Camp Rock Original Soundtrack. September 9, 2008: Writer for 'Gotta Find You' and 'This Is Me' _" Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped, whipping around to look at him, "you... you... wrote them?" She exclaimed.

He nodded, "yes," he said softly, "though I wasn't the only one who worked on them, I did write the words. When I heard you... When I heard you playing 'This Is Me' at school, I... It's what drew me to you... You have a beautiful voice and it's what I heard years ago when I wrote them... Then when I found out that you didn't know who I was and that our parents had been attempting some sort of set-up... It just... It feels like the pieces are falling into place," he motioned between them, "like this was supposed to happen all along."

Rachel's eyes widened at his words, her heart beating faster at the moment, tears filling her eyes again. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his body, hugging him tightly, "I've loved those songs for so long and I've never been drawn to any of the other Disney Movies, like I was to 'Camp Rock'," she whispered.

Enjoying the feeling of her against him, he slipped his arms around her body and held her close, "it means something," he murmured guiding them back to the couch and he pulled away to take a seat again.

Sitting down next to him, Rachel glanced back at what they had been looking at, "wow, you... you wrote them," she blushed, "I feel so... And I..."

"Don't be embarrassed," he brushed a hand against her cheek, "you did amazing; from a friend's point of view and also from the writer's."

Turning to look at him, she smiled, "thank you, Noah. That really means a lot."

"You're welcome," he nodded at her, returning her smile.

Not wanting to leave, she bit her lip and looked around, hoping to see a clock, but without one, she glanced at him, "do you know what time it is?"

Tugging out his phone, he looked at it, "just after nine," he replied.

Rachel sighed, "I really should get going. It's a bit of a drive home," she admitted collecting the CDs that were sitting on the couch, "but I don't want to go."

He nodded, "I don't want you to leave, yet, either, but that is one of the draw backs to living out here," he murmured.

She slowly stood up from the couch, "I actually don't mind the drive. Today has just been an emotional day and I usually get up by five-thirty or six every morning," she explained picking up the teddy bear and smiling at it before settling it in her arms with the CDs and DVDs in her hands.

Standing up with her, he led her back upstairs and over to where they dropped their stuff earlier in the evening. She put the discs into her bag and set the bear on top. "Where are your parents? I'd like to say goodbye," she said softly.

Noah stepped a few feet away and glanced into the kitchen, "in here," he motioned to the kitchen.

Rachel followed him in, seeing his parents sitting at the island talking, but stopped when they entered, "hey you two. What did you think of downstairs?" Deborah asked.

Rachel blushed, "it's... It's amazing. Comfortable and the decorations are quite different than I'm used to, well, I'm used to winning trophies, but nothing as grand as Noah's awards are. The dance room I'm familiar with, but the recording studio; that's something I've never seen in person."

"Definitely a new world in one," Ethan admitted.

"_She could... We could... Oh that would be awesome! But... Stop thinking about work!_" Noah shook his head and looked at his dad, "so how did Elliott take it? Do we need to send flowers to the hospital?" He asked with a grin.

Ethan smirked at his question and laughed, "no. He took it alright. Would like to talk to you soon, though. I explained to him that you have classes, football and Glee Club practices during the week so it'll be later in the evening when you can talk to him."

"How did you... Oh, did Finn tell you about Glee Club?" Noah asked.

"Yes, and Elliott thinks it's a great idea for you to be in it. He thinks it will broaden your horizons and see new music you might like and could bring to your next album. He kept hinting at 'your next album,' too."

Noah groaned, "they better not pull the shit they did last year."

"What did they do last year?" Rachel asked.

"We'd just finished the football season and the label liked the good press I was getting as being a 'normal' teen, so they wanted me to put out another album. By December last year I was in the studio again, to record my third album. It's my favorite thus far, but it's also my least favorite when I remember what happened just before, ya know? I wanted to be at McKinley, I still want to be at McKinley and I don't want to leave just to please them," Noah explained.

"Hopefully they realize that they did it to you once, and it won't work this time. We won't let that happen again," Deborah said. "You need this time off."

"Thanks," he smiled at his parents.

Ethan glanced over at Rachel, "Rachel, I know I didn't get to say this earlier, but it's nice to meet you, and you can call me Ethan, we're not very formal around here."

She smiled at him, "It's nice to meet you, too, Ethan. It's also understandable. Earlier was... There was a lot to take in and I think it will take a while for all the information I got tonight to sink in," she admitted with a blush.

"Yes, you are right," Deborah said, pushing a black box towards the two teens.

"Oh, I was gonna ask if we had another one around here," Noah commented, picking it up and handing it to Rachel.

"What is it?" She asked, taking the small item, seeing a single button and a clip on it.

"It's the remote for the gate. It's our way of saying you're welcome here anytime," Deborah replied with a smile.

"Get near the gate, hit it and it will open," Noah said.

"Oh, alright. I get it. Thank you, um, I didn't expect this," she admitted.

"Given that I'm sure you two will be spending a lot of time here, it wouldn't hurt, and this way you can come over when you'd like; we're pretty sure we can trust you," Ethan added with a smile.

"Thank you," she said again and looked across the room at the time, "I really should be going. It's a bit of a drive home and it's getting late."

"I'll walk you out," Noah said.

"Goodnight," Rachel waved at his parents before heading back to the stairs to get her things. Pulling her keys and phone from her bag, she threw it over her shoulder and with the bear and the gate remote in her hands, too, she followed him to the front door and stepped outside when he opened it for her. He walked her outside and as she stepped off the porch and began to walk towards her car, she really noticed how quiet it was, "it's so peaceful out here, Noah. So quiet."

Noah smiled, "yes it is. I love it. No honking horns, no sirens, no noisy neighbors; a huge change from New York. This is why I love to be home so much," he motioned around, "so peaceful. I like to just sit back at night and stargaze," he looked up, "you don't see this in the city."

Rachel nodded as she hit the unlock button on her keys and opened her back door, setting her things on the seat. Making sure she had what she needed in her hands, she closed her door and looked up to the stars, "I don't even see this many at home," she whispered slipping her arms around his waist.

Noah wrapped her up in a hug and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "we'll have to stargaze some night," he told her rubbing her back gently, "so I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"You will. I'm usually there by seven-fifteen."

"Okay, I get there about the same time, so I'll come find you at your locker," he told her.

"Alright," she smiled, "thank you, again, for the bear and your CDs and DVDs."

"You're welcome," he replied leaning down to kiss her lips gently, "goodnight, Rachel."

"Goodnight, Noah," she replied, tightening her arms around him for a moment before pulling away.

He opened her car door and let her get in. Once she was settled he closed it gently, as she started her car. Shifting into gear, she waved at him before driving around the small loop and headed down the driveway. The gate opened as she reached it and once her car was out of the gate, and out of sight, he headed inside, glancing back to make sure the gate was fully closed before he closed the front door, leaning against it; reflecting on the day, "_what a day! It's only going to get better... She's awesome... Beautiful... I can't wait to get to know her!_"

...

Music: 'Gotta Find You' by Joe Jonas in Camp Rock. Yes another 'Camp Rock' moment, lol. Obviously Noah didn't write 'Gotta Find You' or 'This Is Me,' but I couldn't help the twist. ;)

Note: I've spent the last few weeks coming up with songs for his first albums and in the last week I really focused hard and finally came up with a great track list, so as the story progresses you'll get a glimpse of some of the songs he has on there. A HUGE thanks to Elisheva ( WillDoXTNA ) for all the help; she suggested some awesome songs or artists and those along with what I came up with... I think you all will like the complete track list of Puck's first three CDs. Working on his fourth album, but it won't be 'released' until after he finishes school, so I have some time to come up with more songs.

...

A/N6: OMG so you know how I mentioned 'Another Cinderella Story' back in chapter 3? Well, just the other night, I put it in because I haven't seen it in a long long time and... JANE LYNCH IS IN IT! I heard her voice before I saw her and I freaked! She plays Dominique, the 'evil step mom' and this woman is amazing! Anyway had a little freak out because when I mentioned it in the story I didn't know! It was way before Glee that I saw it so I never even thought about it.

A/N7: Hope you guys liked it... Let me know. :) I really like how it turned out.

...


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Not beta'd; all mistakes are mine. Please mention them if you find any.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

"_In other celebrity news; this is for all you Puck fans out there! It's official. Puck is off the market. Twitter went crazy yesterday afternoon, when pictures began to get posted of Puck walking down the hallway of his high school holding hands with a female student. Puck's representatives confirm they got together yesterday and their families are friends. For those of you who don't know, and if you don't, you must have been living under a rock, with three albums out and two headlining tours under his belt; at only 17, Puck is taking a break from work to finish high school. Sounds to me like a great start back to school by snagging a girlfriend. Puck, if you're out there listening, hope it works out for ya, dude!_"

Noah groaned as he hit the power button to turn off the radio, "_okay, so I know the DJ was being nice, but seriously, can't they just leave me alone?_" He thought as he pulled into the parking lot and noticed Rachel's car, so he parked near her and got out, seeing her getting her things from her car. "Morning, Rach," he called out, throwing his bag over his shoulder, locking his doors and heading for her.

Rachel looked up and smiled, "good morning, Noah," she blushed.

As he reached her, he wrapped her up in a hug and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on her lips, "we were just talked about on the radio," he murmured. "They said we were family friends and started dating yesterday."

Everything that had happened the day before had yet to completely sink in, so she was still feeling like she was dreaming as he hugged her, but she gladly returned it. Hearing his words, she looked up at him with wide eyes, "really? I mean I know we are, in a way, family friends, but we never spoke before yesterday."

He nodded, "I know, but since news travels fast in my line of work, I can imagine Elliott said that to cover up that we started dating on the first day we met."

"So what are we supposed to say?" She asked, pulling from his arms to close her door.

Beginning to walk into school together, he draped his arm around her shoulders, "those we trust know the truth, the rest; know what's released," he replied with a casual shrug.

Rachel pulled out her cell phone, "we need to have an emergency Glee meeting."

"A what?" He raised a curious eyebrow at her.

"The members of the Glee Club are the only ones I'd trust to tell the truth. Kurt, Mercedes, Tina and Artie are my close friends, and Finn knows, but what about the other guys? Don't you want them to know?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I should tell them," he admitted, guiding her towards the front and opened the door for them. Once they stepped inside, a few screams echoed and they were quickly surrounded by a group of girls asking for autographs.

Reluctantly he removed his arm from around her shoulders and she was quickly pushed away so the girls could get to him. He looked at her apologetically as he took the tablets and signed his name, feeling bad that happened, but knew it wouldn't be the first time. Putting on a smile, he let them take pictures, being nice, but hoping this would end soon; getting an idea that he would suggest to Principal Figgins.

Rachel moved a few feet away, giving the girls some space, and chose that moment to send a text to the club members asking them to meet in the choir room. Looking up, she saw him talking to the girls, with a smile on his face; all of them looking dreamily at him and she immediately felt jealous, "_stop it Rachel! This is his life. He can't walk away from this because he's here... If you and him are dating you've got to get used to it!_" She debated on going to her locker, but didn't want to leave him, so she waited, trying to calm her nerves.

Noah glanced towards her a few times as he signed autographs, noticing the the jealous look in her eyes. A couple of the girls told him they were surprised they were dating, but they all thought he and Rachel looked 'good together' no matter what anyone else thought. He thanked them for that support and as they finally walked away, he stepped right over to her, replaced his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead as they started walking towards their lockers, "I'm sorry about that and you're looking a little green," he said softly.

Rachel bit her lip, "I... I have to get used to that. I-"

He stopped in the middle of the hallway and pressed a kiss to her lips, "you're my girlfriend, no one else, alright?" He told her, "yes, my job is different than most, but they are fans, _you're_ my girlfriend."

A blush crept onto her cheeks, "I know, but thinking about it and dealing with it is two different things; I'll be alright," she promised, slipping her arm around his waist as they walked.

"Good," he smiled, noticing the confused looks they were getting, but he ignored them. "Meeting with the club?"

"Yes," she nodded as they paused at his locker to get his stuff, "I said in ten minutes, so we should get up there as soon as I get my books for my class," she said.

Nodding, he closed his locker and replaced his arm around her shoulders, the two heading towards her locker, seeing Kurt digging into his, which was right next to hers. "Good morning, Kurt," she greeted him.

"Hey man," Noah responded.

Kurt turned to them, grinning, "well good morning to the most popular couple on the radio right now. Just how long were you going to go until you let us know that your families were friends?" He asked curiously.

Rachel groaned, "Kurt, it's not what you think. This is why I called the emergency Glee meeting," she said, "we want to explain."

Kurt eyed her, but slowly nodded, "alright, I'll wait."

Rachel thanked him and she gathered her books before the three made their way towards the choir room, Tina and Artie joining them in the trek. As they walked inside, the rest of the club was waiting. Rachel closed the door and then moved to the front of the class, "okay, the reason why I called this meeting was to let you guys know what happened yesterday."

"Rachel, it's obvious," Santana commented, crossing her arms and kicking back in her seat, "you two are dating. Whatever," she shrugged her shoulders.

Rachel took a deep breath, "yes, that is true, but after school when we spoke with our families, we found out that Noah's mom and one of my dads work together at the hospital. They've been trying to set us up for a while and gave up when neither of us seemed interested in a relationship. We never met before yesterday, or had contact, so we wanted to make that clear between our friends that we weren't hiding anything," she paused looking at Noah.

"I heard the news on the radio this morning that my girlfriend is a family friend, so I'm sure after my dad talked to my manager last night, my manager released a statement saying that our families were friends or something along those lines, so it could be made to sound like we didn't just meet yesterday. We'll let my fans and the 'world' know that version, but we want the people we're going to be around the most to know the truth," he finished.

"Oh thank God!" Kurt exclaimed moving over to Rachel and hugging her, "I thought you were hiding that from us!"

Rachel shook her head, "no. I wouldn't hide something like this from you."

"Okay, so you guys didn't know each other before yesterday, but your parents tried to set you up before? Interesting," Quinn commented, trying to understand.

"So you're telling us so we don't say anything? Does it really matter?" Tina asked.

Noah laughed at her question, "yes and no. I don't really give a shit what anyone thinks, but if the fans find out, it's going to be hard to explain. But, from the ones I talked to this morning, they think we look 'good' together," he admitted glancing at Rachel.

Rachel's eyes widened, "what?"

"That's what the girls told me when I was signing autographs this morning," he explained.

Rachel blushed, "really? They said that?"

"Yes," he nodded, "my fans are loyal. A little over protective at times, but they usually support my decisions," he shrugged.

"Oh, I see, well, that's good," she nodded turning to their friends, "I suppose the meeting is over now. I'm sure you have other plans this morning, so we won't keep you," she explained, knowing not everyone wanted to stay much longer; Santana and Quinn making it obvious with their body language that they wanted to leave.

Santana and Quinn were the first ones to get up, heading towards the door, Brittany following right behind them. Matt and Mike got up to leave, telling Noah they'd see him later, before heading out of the room. Finn moved over to his friend, a grin on his face, "I'm still laughing over last night."

Noah smirked, "yeah, thinking back it's pretty funny, but at the time, it wasn't," he replied.

"Yes it was," Finn commented patting him on the shoulder, "see you guys later," he called out, waving as he left the room.

As Finn disappeared, Noah turned to see Artie, Tina, Mercedes and Kurt by Rachel, talking to her in whispers. Once Noah was alone, the four converged on him. "Okay, pop star, we have to get something straight," Mercedes started calmly.

Noah raised an eyebrow at her, "and what would that be?" He replied glancing at Rachel who was ducking her head and blushing.

"Pop star or not, Rachel is our friend, so don't hurt her or you'll have to deal with us," Kurt replied.

Artie moved forward a little more, "what he means is that we are all the outcasts of the school in some way. Rachel is our friend and we don't want to see her hurt. Given the Glee Club's social status is at the bottom of the food chain here at McKinley and your status as jock has you on the top, and even more so because of your popularity, we're very shocked at what happened yesterday, but pop star or not, Rachel is our friend and we'll protect her."

Noah listened to him, understanding the point he was trying to make, but he and Rachel had already talked about it, so he wanted to squash that idea quickly, "look, I'm just as much of an outcast as your guys are, so don't talk to me about social status. The football guys are always giving me shit about my job; they think I'm just some pretty face and don't think I can play, no matter how many times I prove to them I can. They still ask me if I break a nail whenever I get tackled. I might look like a 'jock', but I will never call myself one. Trust me, I'll never hurt her intentionally and if we do break-up, it's because we don't have anything in common, not because of something else," he said looking at the four of them and then his eyes landed on Rachel, "we already talked about this."

"I told them that, but they wanted you to hear it from them," Rachel said softly, feeling like a child being protected by her parents.

"We don't want you to think we don't like you or don't trust you, but we don't know you, other than what we know of Puck. We want to give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that you two work out, but we wanted to be clear that Rachel is our friend," Tina said softly.

"I get that, I do," he nodded calmly, "and she's lucky to have friends to watch her back. I know how important that is," he said holding out a hand to Tina, "no hard feelings."

Tina smiled, shaking his hand, "good," she replied.

Noah shook Artie's hand next and then stepped to Kurt and Mercedes, doing the same thing before reaching Rachel and wrapping his arms around her in a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead before letting her go.

"Okay, so now that we got this out of the way," Mercedes tugged something out of her bag and handed it over to him, "do you mind?" She asked nervously.

Noah took the item and looked at it, then at her, "you've seen me in concert?" He asked, recognizing the item that had been sold at his last tour that just ended a few months prior; hanging from a lanyard was a plastic covered picture of him with his tour logo and name on the front and on the back was a list of some of the tour dates.

"Yep, Tina, Kurt and I went to see you in Columbus; wanted to support our hometown boy," she admitted, "and we love your music."

Noah smiled, "thanks. That means a lot," he nodded, "did you have fun?"

Tina nodded, "we had a lot of fun! It was crazy, but it was great. We were in the fifth row. We'll never forget that."

"Fifth row?" Rachel's eyes widened, "really?"

"Yeah, my parents go to a lot of concerts, so they got an email like a week before tickets went on sale and were given a chance to get into the pre-sale the day before, so they got a shot; dad tried and we would have taken anything, but fifth row at any concert is awesome," Mercedes explained with a grin.

Kurt nodded, "we couldn't talk Rachel and Artie into going or we all would have been there," Kurt added looking at them.

"While I respect Noah as an artist and support him because he's from our hometown, I don't think going to a concert and listening to him play music to a bunch of screaming girls and guys would have been very enjoyable," Artie defended himself.

"It's okay man, I totally understand," Noah laughed leaning against the piano as he tugged a silver sharpie from his pocket and signed his autograph across the darker area of his picture. Shaking it a few times to make sure it was dry, he handed it back to Mercedes.

"Thanks," Mercedes smiled glancing at the autograph she recognized from seeing it online, but then noticed three letters below it, "what's N.A.P.?" She asked.

"You're welcome and N.A.P. are my initials," he replied with a shrug, "when I sign stuff for friends and family I add that to it," he explained. "Anything else I sign for you guys I'll do the same thing," he added.

The others nodded, Tina blushing, "it seems weird to ask you now, because you're like here and not... not just someone on TV and on the radio anymore," she explained.

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind signing stuff for friends; as long as you don't scream in my ear," he laughed.

"Agreed," Kurt laughed.

The six of them gathered up their stuff and headed out of the choir room, knowing it was getting close to the beginning of school. Noah slipped his arm around Rachel's shoulders and she blushed as she wrapped her arm around his back. Reaching the main hall of school, were everyone was still milling around, she leaned her head against his chest, knowing they were still getting looks, but now she didn't care. The bell ringing overhead seemed to break stares and looks, "what do you have first?" Noah asked.

"English, you?" She replied.

"History," he replied, "I'll walk you," he smiled.

She nodded, "alright... Noah?"

"Yes?"

"I listened to your first album last night and I heard a song on it that... Well, I haven't been able to stop listening to it since," she admitted.

"Really?" He looked at her, "what song?"

" 'Noah's Ladder'," she smiled, "you don't... Well... I started crying when I heard it; well after I got over the shock."

He narrowed his eyes in thought as he pulled up the lyrics in his mind, them walking towards the English hallway, "_lyrics... 'Noah was a dirt poor farm boy, raised at the fork in the road in old wood house... Rachel was a land baron's daughter, born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her daddy said he wouldn't stand for Rachel to waste with a common man. He tried hard to keep them apart, but you can't draw lines in young girls heart...' Wait a second! Noah... Rachel..._" His eyes widened, staring at her, "that was like four years ago!"

She nodded, "I know," a smile tugged at her lips as she leaned up and kissed him, "which is why after the shock wore off I started crying because it was way before we even knew each other or even before our parents did."

He shook from his daze, "oh yeah," he nodded in agreement, "but that's just... wow," he didn't know what else to say as they came to a stop outside of her classroom. "Um, I can meet you back here if you'd like. I have English second period," he told her softly, "we need to talk later."

She nodded, "we do. Lunch? I usually eat and then go to the auditorium after," she said.

"Sounds like a plan," he pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged her.

As they stepped away, Rachel smiled at him, "see you after class," she replied before stepping into her classroom.

Noah watched her walk inside before making his way down to the next hallway to his history class and sat down, "_oh my God. Four years ago I sang that song and I... It's about... What does this mean? It was supposed to be 'Jacob's Ladder,' but I said that if I was gonna sing it, I sure as hell wasn't going to sing about another guy so I used Noah, but still... Wow... At thirteen did I know I'd meet her?_" He slid into his seat in class and tried to focus, but his mind was else where. "_I need to learn how to push aside these thoughts until later, or I'm going to be spending class time day dreaming,_" he thought to himself as he tried to take notes.

When the bell to end first period rang, he gathered his stuff and was one of the first students out, wanting to catch Rachel before she got too far. He spotted her talking to Mercedes as they walked out of the English hallway, so he jogged towards them, "ladies," he greeted them, slipping his arm around Rachel's shoulders.

Rachel smiled, "hello Noah."

"Hey," Mercedes nodded at him as they walked in the direction of their lockers.

Pausing at the girls' lockers, which were just a few apart, Rachel opened up hers, so Noah leaned against the one next to Rachel's, "so you've got me thinking about that song," he commented. "When I went to record it, it originally was 'Jacob's Ladder'. It shouldn't have bothered me so much since Rachel and Jacob are both Jewish names, but I didn't like the idea of singing with another guys name so I told them I wanted to change it to Noah, and the writer was okay with it, so that's how it became 'Noah's Ladder'."

Her eyes widened, "you mean you wanted it to be Noah?"

He nodded, "yeah, which is why it's even more shocking."

"Wow," she closed her locker after putting her things for her next classes into her bag and turned to him, "what do you think it means?" She asked softly, motioning between them.

Mercedes smirked from her locker, "I think it means that you and Noah are meant to be together," she commented, "and I'm usually not that mushy."

Rachel blushed, "but we just started dating yesterday, Mercedes, we don't know what will happen in the future."

"Well, it's etched in stone, or well, in a song. At least the for like five years and a little girl," she teased, knowing the last verse of the song.

"Hello girls, Noah... Are you ready for choir and my goodness, Rachel, you look as red as Noah's jacket," Kurt commented stepping up to his locker between Rachel and Mercedes'.

Noah smirked, "yeah, you do, Rachel," he agreed.

"I can't help it. I'm not used to this kind of talking. We just started dating," she said softly.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kurt asked curiously.

"A song on Puck's first album," Mercedes grinned.

"What one?" Kurt closed his locker and when they told him the name, he looked confused, but after a moment his eyes widened, "oh my God! Do you realize what this means? If Rachel's name gets out as your girlfriend, and knowing you changed it from Jacob to Noah, people are going to think that you two are promised to each other!"

"What?" Rachel, Noah and Mercedes exclaimed staring at him.

"Why else would he change the name in the song to Noah? If Rachel was the girls name; everyone is going to think Rachel is some sort of secret future bride... Which would explain why you never had girlfriend before," Kurt grinned, but at their shocked faces he realized they hadn't thought of that, "what? Don't tell me you didn't think about that! Anyway, we need to get going, it's almost time for class to start," he said motioning towards the hall.

Noah rubbed his face with his hand as his other arm slipped around Rachel's shoulders, "I never thought of that. I'll walk you to my locker, but from there, I gotta go back to the English hallway," he told her.

She nodded silently as the four of them walked in the direction of his locker, seeing Mike and Finn standing there. Noah wrapped his arms around her fully, "don't freak out, we'll talk at lunch," he promised kissing her lips gently.

"Okay," she whispered, "see you," she hugged him briefly and then stepped away and continued to walk down the hallway with Mercedes and Kurt.

Once she was out of range, Noah turned to his friends, "I'm a dead man," he muttered pulling open his locker and switching out his books.

"You look alive to me," Finn commented, "what's wrong?"

"So Rachel mentioned one of the songs from my first album that made her cry. The song is 'Noah's Ladder,' the one that I changed the name on because I wasn't gonna sing about another guy, remember?"

Finn nodded, "yeah, I remember you telling me about it. Why, what's wrong with it?"

"The girl's name in the song is Rachel. It was cool and all, ya know, and Mercedes commented that we were 'meant to be together', but then Kurt comes up and mentions that the fans will have a field day with it if my girlfriends name ever comes out, because they'll assume I changed the song for us and that we're in some super secret relationship and are promised to each other."

"Like in an arranged marriage?" Mike asked with a laugh, "that doesn't happen these days."

"We know that," he motioned between them, "but the fans will think it will explain why it happened all of a sudden and why I never had a girlfriend before."

"But you were here last year and didn't know her and you just met yesterday," Finn said.

"Again, we know that, but it won't be long before the fans will find out her name, and after that, they'll hear the song and it's open season," Noah sighed.

Finn laughed, "this is great. I'm glad you're home. My life needed more comedy. You guys get together yesterday, last night your parents tell you they've been trying to set you up for months, today this song... Talk of an arranged marriage... I need to start taking bets on this stuff. So, tomorrow I'm seeing wedding plans, then I'm thinking by the end of the week Rachel will be pregnant," he said in a lower voice, so only Mike and Noah could hear him.

Noah groaned, "dude, not helping," he muttered. "We just started dating! Don't even start with the 'M' word or the 'P' word! Damn! Why can't I have some peace for once?"

"Because you're Puck and in the spotlight. Dude, this is going to be fun. Can I be your best man?" Finn asked with a smile.

"IF I ever get married, you will be," Noah commented, stressing the 'if', "now I'm going to class and hopefully I'll be able to concentrate."

Mike and Noah headed down the hall, since they had class together and Finn called out to them before they got too far, "let me know when I need to come up with a congratulations speech!"

Noah groaned and rubbed his forehead, as Mike laughed. "_It's going to be a long fucking day,_" Noah thought.

...

Music mentioned: 'Noah's Ladder' is originally 'Jacob's Ladder' sung by Mark Wills, which is a favorite song of mine; when I heard the girls name in the song being Rachel, I had to change the name to Noah and make it one of his. ;D

...

A/N4: Not quite where I planned this to go, but I think this is going to be fun! When I was looking for songs for Puck's first CD, I remembered this Mark Wills song. With all the news of 'Puck' having a girlfriend, that song's lyrics along with curious fans who will want to know who his girlfriend is; it's gonna be fun planning out just what is gonna happen next... Maybe some jealous fans at school announcing her name on the internet? Haven't started the new chapter, but we'll see where the muse takes me... Up next is the rest of the day with the new couple. ;)

...

**A/N5: To all my readers, please read...**

I'm promoting something I just signed up to do and it'd be awesome if any of you could help out this great cause.

A reader of mine, truelovepooh ('Pooh' and 'Stacie'), is currently battling ovarian AND breast cancer without medical insurance. The group 'Support Stacie' is a way for them to help raise money for her medical bills. I was asked to be a part of the 'Author Auction' and I would not pass up the chance to help out.

Starting March 26 and going through March 29, members of the forum (anyone can join) bids on an author and at the end of the auction, the winning bidder (after their money is sent), gets a fic written by me, for them.

Several fellow Glee authors are partaking in this auction...

(remove the spaces to use the links)

**Myself (SapphireEJ / SapphiresFic:)**

( http :/ www . supportstacie . com / phpBB3 / ? f=25&t=2047) 

**GoingVintage:**

( http :/ www . supportstacie . com / phpBB3 / ? f=25&t=2031)

**Bookgurrrl:**

( http :/ www . supportstacie . com / phpBB3 / ? f=25&t=2063)

**Mag721:**

( http :/ www . supportstacie . com / phpBB3 / ? f=25&t=2068)

**The main forum:**

( http :/ www. supportstacie . com / phpBB3/ )

This auction is listed under the '2010 April Author Auction' thread and we, specifically, are listed under the 'Glee Auctions'. I recommend that you check out all the topics to learn how & what to bid, and there are also some FAQs there to read.

If you would like any of us to write a fic for you and you're willing to bid on us, hop on over to the forum and check it out, see our auctions and see what it's all about. It's totally worth it!

Having a family member who went through a double mastectomy back in December for breast cancer, I am super supportive of this cause because it hits so close to home...

Thanks!  
SapphireEJ/SapphiresFic, GoingVintage, Bookgurrrl & Mag721

... (PM if you are having issues with the links ~ need to remove the links for them to work)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Noah was able to push his thoughts away to get through his second class of the day and when he walked with Mike to their lockers, he stashed his backpack and jacket into the locker, knowing they were heading to gym next. They were waiting for Finn and Matt, when he glanced down the hallway, seeing Dave Karofsky. Dave is on the hockey team and was the person mostly responsible for the slushy attacks. He was standing down at one end of the hallway, holding a familiar cup. It took all of Noah's will power to not go down there and beat the shit out of him.

Leaning against the lockers, he hoped he could catch Rachel between classes while continuing to keep an eye on Karofsky. Henoticed the hockey player now walking in his direction and then glanced to his left and saw Rachel. Taking a deep breath he pushed himself off the locker that he was leaning against and double stepped to Rachel, quickly pulling her to him and guiding her over to where Mike, and now Finn and Matt where standing.

Karofsky noticed the swift movements of the pop star, and the four guys blocking him from completing his task, "fine, I've got enough for five," he smiled.

Noah stood there, arms crossed over his chest, daring him to throw the slushy, but the game changed quickly. A blond girl wearing a Letterman's jacket walked towards them and when Karofsky lifted his hand to throw the ice drink, she pushed his arm back and the momentum tipped the cup towards him, and in a flash, the thick red slushy was coating his face and shirt, dripping everywhere.

A wave of gasps echoed through the hallway as those witnessing the incident stood shocked at the turn of events.

Realizing everyone was staring at her, she turned to look around, "what? It makes a fuckin' mess and I'm tired of slipping in it!" She hissed.

She looked at the school bully who was standing there stunned, but she remained focused, stepping right up to him and staring him in the eye. "If you fucking mess with Noah or any of his friends, which includes his girlfriend, you better find an igloo in Antarctica to live, because that will be the only place you'll be safe and then you can have as many slushies as you want, got it?" She snapped at him.

"Oh yeah? You and what army is gonna stop me?" He laughed shrugging his shoulders mockingly.

His question was loud enough in the mostly silent hallthat everyone heard, and the reaction surprised even him. Mostly girls, but some guys stepped forward, almost circling around the two, "all of us," one girl said loudly.

Karofsky looked around, surprised to see himself surrounded. "There's plenty of slushies for all of you, too," he said cockily.

"Who's gonna stand on your side when they find out that over three-fourths of the school is on our side? Not many, so hate to tell you this, Karofsky, but you and your small group of friends are out numbered," she said flatly.

The circle had grown as more students gathered around and he realized he was out numbered, so he pushed through them to get away, afraid of just what they would do**.**

Once he was gone, the hallway began cheering as they disbanded to carry on with their day. The four guys and Rachel stared at the girl, but with no one moving, Rachel pushed from between Noah and Mike and stepped over to her, "thank you," she said to her.

The blond nodded, "you're welcome. Watching that happen all last year was enough. I should have done it sooner, but hopefully he'll stop, now."

Rachel took a deep breath, "you... why did you... Why now?"

"Because the jocks give us female athletes a bad name. I play soccer," she motioned to her jacket that had a black and white soccer ball near the letter, "and your boyfriend's fans won't stand for it," she added, motioning to Noah.

At her explanation, Noah stepped up to her, "thank you, but you didn't have to do that."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to," she admitted, "I hope Karofsky stops."

"Even if he doesn't, just doing that, I owe you one... We owe you," he motioned between the guys, Rachel at him.

She shrugged, "sign my CDs and we'll call it even," she replied before continuing down the hallway.

"What's your name?" He asked, before she got too far away.

She turned around, "Kayla," she called out before she turned the corner.

The two minute warning bell rang overhead and Puck groaned, turning to his girlfriend, "gotta go, babe," he leaned forward and kissed her lips, "see you at lunch."

Rachel nodded, "yeah, see you then."

The guys double-timed it to the locker rooms, knowing Tanaka would have _them_ for lunch if they were late. They slipped into the locker rooms, just as the final bell rang to start third period.

Rachel was thankful that she had puther Spanish book into her bag before going to choir, so she was able to slip into Mr. Schuester's classroom just before the bell rang and took her seat next to Tina.

Tina leaned over, "What happened in the hallway? I heard something about Karofsky and him getting slushied."

"He did," Rachel said nervously, "I'm... I'm not, it happened so fast... I think I'm still processing what happened," she admitted.

...

Rubber-soled shoes pounding on the artificial track was all that Noah forced himself to focus on as he and the rest of his class worked on a mile run on the track. With one lap to go, Finn, Matt and Mike trailed behind him. He was not in the lead but he was close to it. As his feet brought him closer to the final straightaway, he took a deep breath and pushed all his anger and worries into the final yards, crossing the finish line with a six-minute, twenty-five-second time, beating his three friends. Walking back and forth to slow his racing heart, the thoughts and worries flooded back to him, "_why slushy Rachel? Why degrade someone like that? Damn it! Rachel deserves the stardom that I've got... She's got so much potential... She doesn't deserve to be humiliated on a daily basis like that... I'll treat her right; I would never humiliate her__,__ but damn it, I can't control what everyone else thinks! Right now... I'm sure... My fans here in town will support our relationship because I'm from here, but outside... Outside Lima... It's different. I'm sure most of my fans don't care or are fine with it, but I know there are those diehards that are going to want to rip her to shreds and stalk her and tell her she's a..._" He shook his head trying to push those words out of his head, knowing his girlfriend was none of those. Looking up he saw a guy with a light brown Afro holding a camera, he was standing against the gate that went around the track and field. Realizing why he was standing there, Noah turned and headed back towards where Finn and the guys were, "paparazzi start young," he threw his thumb over his shoulder.

Finn glanced in the direction, "Jacob Ben Israel... He's the school gossip and I think he works on the paper, too."

"Doesn't he have like a huge crush on Rachel?" Mike asked.

Matt nodded, "oh yeah he does, dude's blog is full of rumors and lies about her and what he wants to do..." Matt froze when he realized just who he was talking about, seeing the ice look on Noah's face.

Biting the inside of his cheek, Noah started at them, "are you talking about My Rachel?" He barked out, fists balling at his sides.

"Whoa, dude, chill out," Finn said.

"Jew-fro is harmless," Mike said.

The derogatory nickname Mike used stirred the anger in him, "what did you call him?"

"Jew-fro; you know, 'cause he's Jewish and has an Afro," Matt said.

"Hey ladies, hit the showers!" Their coach called out, and the guys realized that the rest of the class was already heading into the locker room.

The four headed inside, "so he likes Rachel?" Noah asked Finn as they headed to the showers.

"Yeah, I guess. The kid is like weird," Finn admitted. "Ask her about him. I've seen her push him away before... She hates him."

Noah sighed and finished his shower without asking more questions. He dressed as fast as he could. The guys weren't finished so he left; there were only a few minutes until class got out, so he made his way down to the main part of the school, just as the bell rang. He hoped would be able to meet up with her before she went to the cafeteria.

Rachel and Tina walked out of Mr. Schuester's classroom and headed for their lockers. Rachel noticed her boyfriend walking down the hallway, towards them, he looked ill. "Noah, are you alright?" Rachel asked, concerned at his appearance.

He sagged against the lockers, "I don't know what I am right now," he admitted honestly.

She narrowed her eyes, "what happened in your last class?" She asked concerned.

"Can we talk about it after lunch?" He requested. "I don't want to skip it like I did yesterday or I'll regret it because there's football practice after school."

"Oh, um, yes, I suppose it can wait, but you look ill; or at least you look like you've seen a ghost," Rachel explained.

He sighed, "I wish it were that simple," he replied draping his arm around her shoulders and guiding her to his locker to get his jacket. As he slipped his arms into it, he looked at her, the halls thinning out as most of the students headed towards the cafeteria, "it wasn't a ghost, but maybe a pest," he told her with a grin, noticing she looked worried. 

"You were fine an hour ago and then you got to class, and now you are like this. I'm not familiar with your schedule yet, but I don't think this is normal," she said.

"It was weight training and we worked out and ran a mile," he shrugged, "I'll tell you after we get some food."

Thinking that he was just tired from working out, Rachel nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked, his arm around her shoulders.

Standing in line they got their food and paid for it, taking a seat at a table with Mercedes, Kurt, Artie and Tina. Finn joined them moments later earning a confused look from everyone at the table, which remained as Matt and Mike strolled over Matt sitting between Mercedes and Kurt and Mike sitting on Kurt's other side with Finn next to him.

"Okay, did you guys get hit with a football or something in gym?" Mercedes asked looking at the three football players, "I know why Noah's here, since he's with Rachel, but what's up with you three?"

"Glee Club unity," Mike commented with a shrug.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with what happened before third period, would it?" Kurt asked, "what did exactly happen?"

Rachel quickly explained her side of the story and the guys added their opinions, which surprised and shocked the entire table, but all of them hoped the slushies would stop; but only time would tell.

They had an hour and a half for lunch, and as thirty minutes had ticked by, Noah was ready to talk to Rachel. He couldn't wait any longer, so he looked at her, "ready?" He asked her quietly.

Rachel glanced at the clock and her eyes widened, "oh no! I never expected to chat this long; we have work to do! You need to learn the steps for 'Don't Stop Believing'," she exclaimed hopping up.

"Yeah, somehow I don't think you'll be dancing," Kurt commented with a grin.

"Kurt, I assure you that Noah and I are in no way ready to even discuss what you're implying, not that it is any of your business." Rachel snapped before standing up, "Noah, come on."

Noah stood up with a laugh, "I'm not even going to comment on that," he said, "see ya," he waved and followed Rachel.

Once they were out of the cafeteria, Rachel slowed her pace and looked at him, "are you alright?"

Stopping at his locker to get his bag, he looked at her, "honestly. I don't know, but it's, well, just something we need to talk about, that's all," he told her stuffing his books into his bag and throwing it over his shoulder as he closed his locker.

"Usually when a partner says 'we need to talk' it never is good," Rachel bit her lip, "is it about what happened this morning? The song? Or what Kurt said? Because Noah we agreed that -"

He pressed a finger to her lips to silence her, "auditorium, okay?" He asked softly, "it's the one place we can talk without being interrupted, besides it is where we met so I guess that makes it our place," he whispered slipping his arm around her shoulders, "and it's not bad," he promised kissing her gently.

Rachel sighed in relief and slipped her arm around his waist as they walked. Reaching the auditorium; Rachel thought they'd head up to the stage, so she started in that direction.

"Um, do you think we could sit over there?" He motioned to the darker of seats corner where the lights weren't on.

Biting her lip, "um, I suppose," she said nervously. She'd been worried and with his odd behavior, a million of concerns and worries flashed through her mind, but she told herself to relax, even though now he was asking her to not only be alone in the auditorium, but also in the darker corner.

Noah saw a look flicker across her face as she spoke and realized what it was, "oh, Rach," he dropped his bag and pulled her against him, "don't freak out... I'm not going to... Please don't think that I'd... That I'd hurt you... I just want to sit over there so if someone comes in they won't see us right away," he explained, "and not because of that; I just don't want my fans to know I hang out in here or we'll never have any privacy."

Rachel sunk against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist, "I'm so sorry, Noah, but you were acting weird and I... I'm so sorry it even crossed my mind," she whispered.

He held her close for a long moment, knowing she was sorry, "you have every right to be concerned. I know how that looks and we just met so you know nothing of me," he admitted, "but I will never do what was implied," he pulled back enough to look her in the eyes, "I swear to you, I will never lay a hand on you or touch you in a way that makes you uncomfortable. I hope you believe that," he whispered, one of his hands lifting to brush against her cheek.

Tears stung her eyes as he spoke and she nodded, her hand lifting to join his against her cheek, "I do believe you, Noah," she assured him, turning to press a kiss against his hand before, "I should have... I should have put more faith in what my heart felt, but my mind couldn't help the thoughts racing," she admitted, sadly. "You also have to understand that it isn't you specifically Noah. Being in a relationship is uncharted territory for me."

"I understand, I do," he kissed her lips gently before stepping away to pick up his bag and guided her back to where he had wanted to sit before, taking a seat a couple down from the end of the row, dropping his bag in the seat next to him, "no hard feelings. We just met, you don't know me other than what you've learned in the last twenty-four hours and you can't learn all there is to know about a person in that short of time, no matter what feelings we have for each other," he replied honestly, "so don't worry about it."

Rachel sighed in relief and dropped her bag in a seat, and slid into the one next to him, "good." She reached out and took his left hand in hers and held it between her two hands, "Noah, what happened before?"

He took a deep breath, "I noticed a kid taking pictures of me while on the track," he commented, "and the guys told me who it was. Jacob Ben Israel," he told her softly. He watched the shocked look grow on her face, "and they told me about what he does; well they told me he has a huge crush on you and he has a blog he posts things about you on."

She gasped, biting her lip, "they are all lies, Noah, he is... he is vile and repulsive and his comments are crude. I swear they are all rumors and lies; his whole blog is nothing more than a disgusting work of fiction."

"I know," he shifted in his seat to turn to her, "and as your boyfriend, I hope I don't have to beat the shit out of him for talking about you. I haven't read the blog, but... as someone in the spotlight, if his blog is found by fans... Then the media could get wind of it and if even just a handful of them believe what he writes..."

Rachel's head fell, "I don't know what to do. Even if I ask him to stop posting or even if he was legally made to, he'd just start running it somewhere else, but everyone in the school knows his blog is full of lies; the are not just about me, there are a lot about others, too, but I am..." She sighed, "I am the focus of a good portion because he does have a crush on me," she shuddered at the thought.

He watched her explain and saw the look of disgust on her face grow as she talked about him, "that's what I needed to know," he lifted his free hand up brush some of her hair from her face.

"What? I thought you were concerned about his blog getting out to the public?" She now stared at him confused.

"I am, a little; but I don't give a shit what people think about me, and while I hate the idea of someone trashing you, it has to be expected because you're my girlfriend. My only worry was that at some point his advances could be... accepted," he said softly, "and I see that won't be the case."

She groaned and shook her head, "it won't be," she assured him, "his comments are repellent and creepy and his words are trash and lies. I hope when he finds out we're together he will leave me alone for good."

"And if he doesn't," Noah cleared his throat, "I'm sure Puck could find a way to shut him down for good."

"I doubt it," Rachel said softly, "which is why I have never said anything to my fathers about him, because I'm sure dad would love to sue him and have the site taken down, but he'll just start it somewhere else; it's a down side to the internet, so I just shrug it off and push him away."

Noah sighed resigned, realizing what she said was true, "so we just let him talk trash about you?"

"I don't see any other way," she bit her lip.

"I'm gonna check out this blog and see what the hell he says about you. If I don't like it, I'm not making promises," he told her.

Rachel sighed, "alright."

"I have an idea about what Kurt said earlier; you know, when he said the fans would have a field day when they find out your name is Rachel and it's 'Noah and Rachel' in the song," he said.

"You do?" Her eyes widened, "what is it?"

"We play along."

"Are you insane?" She exclaimed.

"Just hear me out, I really think it could work," he defended.

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a curious eyebrow at him, "well?"

"We play along," he held up a finger to her lips to stop her protest, "but we won't call it an arranged marriage," he clarified. Her eyes narrowed in confusion, but didn't speak, so he continued, "we say we knew each other before I got famous and we made kind of a pact that we'd be friends forever and as we got older we'd date and get married because we want to marry someone who is Jewish, at least I know I want to, so given the small population of Jewish people in our community, we agreed we'd set our sights only on each other. We don't know what the future holds; what we _do _know is that right now we want to be together, and hope we'll remain together."

Rachel's mouth fell open and she jumped up, pacing back and forth in the aisle nervously, "are you absolutely out of your mind? Noah!" She exclaimed, "do you realize what you're asking us to do? You want is to LIE to your fans! To everyone!" She rubbed her hands over face, "twenty-four hours ago we met... Right here in this very auditorium, on that stage," she pointed to the stage, "and now you're talking about an arranged marriage... NOAH! What happened to taking things slow?"

"Hey! That went out the window when you discovered that song," he commented, "and if you made the connection then I bet there's a whole lot of fans out there who will, too, when your name gets released, which I'm sure won't long. Oh, and Finn's gonna start taking bets on how long it takes for someone to think you're pregnant, so, we should probably get the marriage out of the way first, you know, so we don't have a kid out of wedlock," he said calmly, but the grin on his face was bright.

"NOAH!" She exclaimed, plopping down in her seat, "you want to... and he's..."

"He's just joking around," Noah replied, "_I hope,_" he added in his mind.

Rachel took a shaky breath, "I don't know if this story is a good idea," she said softly, "there are too many holes. If we were close friends, why didn't I visit you? Why haven't I been seen with you before?"

"Simple. To protect your identity," he commented kicking his feet up on the backs of the seats in front of him.

"Okay, but what about our pact... Where would we have come up with something like that? When did you get famous? How did you get famous?" She asked.

"We were in New York visiting my dad's brother and his family. My uncle was having a bar-b-q and I was playing my guitar for my cousins and sister and Elliott was there; he was a neighbor or something like that, so he heard me and within two days we were signing a contract and my life changed forever. And I was just about to turn 13."

"So I would have been twelve, so even if this is plausible, you're saying that for me at ten or eleven and you at eleven or twelve, that we came up with something like that... Not likely-"

"So we say it was a joking comment from our parents about us being some of the few Jewish kids in the area and wouldn't it be great if we got married? We took the idea and laughed about the married part, but we became friends though emails and phone conversations, and over the years we developed romantic feelings for each other," he shrugged, "trust me, we've got a whole barrel of ideas to use."

"Why?" She looked at him, "honestly Noah, why do you care?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?" He took his feet down at turned to look at her.

She took a deep breath, her fingers swirling circles on the wooden armrest nervously, "I'm just... You're like royalty and I... I don't know if I can be your... be the person that walks behind you, like a queen did for a king back in the olden days," she said softly, "I have dreams and aspirations that-"

"Hold the truck up here," Noah stood up and stared down at her, his turn to start pacing, "is that what you think? That if we got to that point I'd ask you to give up all your dreams just so you can marry me and follow me around? Damn, Rachel what the hell kind guy do you think I am? I sure as hell would never ask you to stand behind me; support me and be beside me, yeah, but never follow behind me. I know you have dreams and I won't ask you to give them up. We would both be living in New York, and if we wanted, we could live together. Sure my job is crazy, with long hours and a lot of traveling, but I'd be there as much as possible and I'd come to see your shows when I could... We'd make it work, so I don't get why all of a sudden you're taking like this. Besides," he slid back into his seat next to her, taking her hand in his, "there are a lot of amazing performing arts programs in New York," he added, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I _have _always dreamed of going to drama school in New York," she said truthfully. "I want us to work out, Noah, but I'm afraid that I am going to be looked at as the small town girl who got lucky. I'll never be taken seriously on Broadway if I'm just seen as someone who got there because of our relationship."

"Babe," he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, "you're talent will prove why you're there and by the time you finish school, no one is gonna care who you're dating or married to," he smirked, "I know this is happening really fast, but I think we have something really special, here, Rachel. I want the chance to see where it goes, you know?"

She nodded in agreement, slipping her free arm around his body and leaning against his chest, "I want that chance, too, Noah," she admitted, looking up to him with a smile on her lips, "but this all seems like something out of a fairytale," she whispered.

"Good," he grinned, breaking their hands apart so he could wrap his arms around her in a hug, "remind me to go online and order you a pair of glass slippers when I get home."

"Noah," she giggled.

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before leaning his head against hers, "we'll make it work," he promised.

Smiling at his words, she nodded, settling against him as best she could with an armrest between them, "I know we will," she replied, shifting one of her arms so she could take his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently.

Noah's eyes drifted closed, enjoying their time together; for the moment it was only them in their world, far away from everything and everyone else.

...

A/N4: Let me know what you guys think! :D I'm having fun writing this, lol.

A/N5: 1 more chapter to finish out the day and then off to a few weeks to a month later to progress the storyline along a little.

A/N6: So sorry to everyone! I have not been able to respond to as many reviews as I'd like, so I apologize if you haven't seen one from me in a long time. :( RL has kicked my rear, so to speak, but I do read them and appreciate them all!

...


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Slipping out of the auditorium just before the bell rang; the new couple joined hands and headed in the direction of their classes.

"Rach, I've been meaning to tell you," he said as he bit his lip, "I probably won't be going out a lot, I mean I will, but like not all the time, so I hope that's alright if we just, um, hang out at your place or mine. At least for a while until things settle down."

"That's totally understandable, Noah. I don't mind at all," she replied, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips.

"Good," he said as hugged her when they paused near her history class.

As the two pulled away, they realized they had an audience of one; Jacob. "Hello my sweet Jewish Goddess," he grinned at her creepily.

"Jacob, stop it," Rachel snapped, "I am not your anything! In fact, Jacob, I want you to meet _my_ boyfriend, Noah."

Noah nodded, not wanting to even speak to him. Jacob shared the same look as the pop star and then turned to Rachel, "it'll only be a matter of time before his celebrity will be too much for you, my sweet, and I'll be right there to pick up the pieces," he smiled again, brushing past her without waiting for a response.

Rachel stiffened next to her boyfriend and shook her head, unable to figure out what to say.

"Well, he's right about one thing," Noah smirked, leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips.

"What could he possibly have been right about?" Rachel snapped, slightly harsher that necessary, but she was still pissed.

"You _are_ a sweet Jewish Goddess," he grinned and kissed her shocked lips again.

She felt her cheeks warm as she blushed, looking up at him, "really?"

"Yeah," he nodded and hugged her tightly, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "_my_ sweet Jewish Goddess," he clarified. "Have fun in history, see you after class."

Rachel watched him walk away, knowing the blush on her cheeks was still there, but she took a deep breath and walked into the classroom and took her seat; neither of them noticing a dark hard girl down the hallway with a scowl on her face.

...

Noah's class was only a few doors down from Rachel's so as he walked out of his, he saw her coming out of her class, he followed her, catching up with her, "hey, how was class?" he asked with a grin.

"Very informative," she admitted, "yours?"

"Bien," he replied, since he'd just come from Spanish with Mr. Schuester. ('okay' in Spanish)

Stopping at her locker, Rachel switched out her history book for her math book and looked at him, "what year Spanish are you in?" She asked.

"Second," he said guiding her towards his locker, his arm draped around her shoulders.

"How did that work? You took first year last year? But what about when you left?"

"I always wanted to go to middle school and high school here, so when I started all this, instead of going through the New York school system, I went through Lima School District; that way if I did ever have a chance to come back home and go to school, I'd have taken the same curriculum that everyone else here had. I had a tutor traveling with us and my parents made sure I kept my grades up," he explained, a smirk on his face as he got his math and science books and slipped them into his bag, "when I left last year the school let me just continue on as 'independent study' classes like they offer here and when I took the final tests, I passed them, so I was able to go on to this year."

Rachel nodded, "that does make sense," she admitted looking up to see Finn and Quinn coming to Finn's locker. "Hello, Finn, Quinn," Rachel smiled at them.

"Hey Rachel, hey Noah," Finn replied stepping to his locker.

"Hi," Quinn nodded at them; she was trying to be social with Rachel, but she still resisted the urge to call her the names the Cheerios always called her.

"So did you guys figure out a date yet?" Finn asked his friend.

"A date for what?" Noah asked closing his locker.

Finn glanced between him and Rachel, "the wedding... wait... maybe we should start with the engagement and then talk marriage," he teased.

Quinn gasped next to them and stared, "what is he talking about?"

"It's a long story," Rachel admitted with a blush, "we'll explain later."

Noah grinned, "see you guys later," he added slipping his arm around his girlfriends' shoulders and guided her down the hall towards their math class.

Across the hallway, within earshot, the same dark haired girl stood looking into her locker, but the mirror inside gave her a view of the four teens that had been talking and she heard every word; her mind racing, "_engagement? Marriage? Oh hell no!_"

...

As their second class together got out and school was over, she looked at her boyfriend, "what time does football practice get over?"

"Uh, coach usually lets us go about five-thirty or so, why?" He stood up and walked with her out of the classroom along with Mike, Brittany, Mercedes and Kurt.

"Would you like to come over and do homework after?" She asked.

"Sure, just text me your address and I'll stop by after," he replied.

"Okay," she smiled and paused at her locker, collecting the books she'd need for homework. Stuffing them into her bag she closed her locker, and tugged her phone from her bag, typed her address into a message and sent it to him.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, so he pulled it out and saw the message, "got it," he looked at the street name and nodded, "oh I know where this is."

"Okay, well just call me or text when it's over and I'll make sure dinner is ready, I'm sure you'll be hungry," she commented.

"Probably," he nodded, "thanks, you don't have to do that, though."

"I know, but dad and daddy don't usually get home up until five or five-thirty, we usually eat dinner around six so perfect timing; you can have dinner with us, too, if you're okay with that."

"That's fine with me," he nodded, "no worries. I'll let my parents know," he added, slipping his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards his locker.

Gathering what he needed for homework, he walked her out to her car and kissed her before letting her go so she could get home. He dropped his backpack off at his SUV before heading towards the locker room to change for football practice, finding Finn and the guys just getting there, too.

...

For a little over two hours, the football team went from running plays and jogging laps to practicing passes and catching before the coach let them out for the day. After a shower and changing into street clothes, Noah said 'goodbye' to his friends and rechecked Rachel's message with her address and made his way over there, her house wasn't very far from where he used to live; but then again, so were a lot of his classmates, since there was only one other high school in town and it was their 'across town rival'.

Seeing her car parked in front of the typical two-story house, he pulled up behind her car and turned off the engine he made a quick call to his parents to let him know he was going to be at Rachel's for a few hours. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he noticed a car pull into the driveway and as Noah grabbed his backpack and slid out of his SUV, he saw David getting out of the car. "Hey David," he said.

"Oh, hello, Noah. How are you?" David asked.

"Okay. You?" Noah replied, reaching the porch at the same time as David had.

"I'm okay. Come on in," David said pushing the front door open and stepping inside.

"Thanks," Noah followed him in.

Once inside, David closed the door, "just set your stuff down wherever and you're welcome to hang your jacket up in the closet, if you'd like," David said motioning to the closet by the door.

Noah nodded and set his backpack down by the couch in the living room and laid his jacket near it, before following David into the kitchen where Rachel was sitting at the island with a book open, doing her homework, "hey sweetheart," David said.

"Hi daddy!" She jumped up and went to hug him.

David hugged her back, "Look who I found." he said, motioning behind him.

Rachel stepped from her dad and looked around him and her eyes widened, "Noah! When did you get here?" She asked moving towards him.

"Just now," he admitted, "your dad came home at the same time so he let me in," he commented giving her a hug.

"How was practice?" She asked.

"It was alright. The usual, nothing too exciting," he laughed.

Rachel nodded, "oh alright," she moved to the fridge, "um, can I get you something to drink? Dinner won't be ready for a little bit yet," she said.

"No hurry," he said, "water if you got it."

She pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to him, "Have a seat," she said as she gestured to a stool by the island and sat at down next to him, closing her book.

Noah slid onto the stool and opened the water, taking a swig, "thanks," he held it up before setting it down on the island, "what are you working on?"

"Spanish," she admitted, "I am taking first year with Mr. Schuester."

"That's cool," he glanced over, "the first few weeks is pretty easy, but after that the vocabulary can get to be a pain, but it's fun. I like it."

Rachel nodded, "maybe if I get stuck you could help," she said.

"Sure," he smiled, "I don't mind helping out, but I'm sure you won't need it," he winked at her and relaxed.

She glanced around and noticed David wasn't in the room so she looked at her boyfriend, "I have been thinking about what you proposed at lunch," she said.

He coughed a little as he had taken a drink of water and looked at her, "proposed?" His eyes went wide, "I... did... what?"

Rachel's hands flew to her mouth when she realized just what she said, "oh no! Not like that, I didn't think you... No, I was," she blushed, "I didn't mean like you proposed, I just meant I was thinking about your suggestion."

"Oh," Noah took a deep breath and laughed lightly, "okay, you were thinking about my idea, what about it?" He asked softly, calming down from the shock of that specific word.

"I think," she bit her lip, "I think we should go with it, but do you think that your sister will be able to keep the secret?" She asked softly.

"Yes, I know she can," he assured her, "well, it looks like I'll be talking to your dads at dinner," he added.

"What? Why?" She looked confused.

"You really think I'd let a story like that out about their daughter without their permission?" He asked curiously, "especially when their daughter is my girlfriend? The last thing I want is them thinking that," he glanced around casually, "that we're moving faster than we say we are."

"Oh," she nodded, "I see. That does make sense. Thank you for thinking of that."

He nodded at her as the front door opened again and Alan stepped into the kitchen moments later, "hello Noah, I thought that was your SUV outside," he smiled at him.

"Hi," Noah waved at him, "just got here from football practice."

Alan nodded, "I see," he replied hugging Rachel in greeting. "What are you two up to?" He asked looking at them.

"I was doing homework, dinner is almost ready and Noah and I were going to work on our homework after dinner," Rachel responded.

"Do you guys have classes together?" He asked.

"Math and science," Noah supplied as Rachel moved to pick up her book and notes.

Alan spoke with them for a few moments longer before going to change from his suit and soon he and David were coming into the kitchen, where Rachel was just taking dinner out of the oven.

Noah helped Rachel set the table and they all sat down to dinner. Noah fully expected her dads to start asking him 'what are you intentions with our daughter', but the question never came up; they asked him what he thought about living in New York and his specific reasons for returning to Lima for school.

Seeing that her dads were keeping the conversation light, Noah almost felt like he shouldn't bring the topic up, but he knew he had to act fast. "Um, Alan, David," Noah glanced at Rachel before looking at her dads across the table.

"Yes?" David asked raising a curious eyebrow at him, seeing Rachel turning slightly red.

Taking a deep breath he started, "I have an idea that could, um, well," he scratched his head, "_maybe you should have thought about what you were going to say first!_" Noah thought before slowly exhaling, "Rachel discovered a song on my first album that I recorded many years ago. The song is about a boy and a girl; growing up in different words; he's poor, she's not and her dad doesn't want them to be together, but they love each other and end up taking off, getting married and the last verse of the song talks about a little girl asking her grandfather to tell her the story of how their parents created her... The girl in the song was always 'Rachel' and the boy was supposed to be 'Jacob' but I didn't like the idea of singing about another guy, so I changed it to 'Noah'. Um, when Rachel mentioned it to me this morning, and then we talked about it with some of the kids from Glee, Kurt mentioned that my fans will have a field day with it because if Rachel figured it out, they will, too, and they know I changed the guys name and it won't be long before her name comes out as the name of my girlfriend... Given that it's Noah and Rachel in a song I sang years ago, they'll start wondering if we were always in some sort of relationship and Kurt mentioned an arranged marriage..."

The two fathers had been listening to him explaining the song and as 'arranged marriage' was said, Alan coughed and David dropped his fork. "What?" David choked out.

"Most of my fans are under the age of eighteen and I have never had a girlfriend or even been seen with a girl, so I'm sure their young active imaginations will say we're in secret arranged marriage, which would explain why I never had a girlfriend. After Kurt said that, I had an idea, but I won't even think of releasing it unless you guys are okay with it."

"Okay with what?" Alan asked curiously.

"That we play on it. We say we knew each other before I got famous and we were some of the few Jewish kids in our area and someone joked about 'wouldn't it be great if we got married' and though we weren't interested in a relationship, we did agree to be friends forever, to focus on each other and date and then maybe marry. When I got famous, we kept in touch through emails and phone calls and over that time romantic feelings grew between us, but to protect her identity she never visited me or saw me other than a few times here, but now that I've returned home, we can date each other and see where things go... I know I want to see what happens and I know this seems like we're rushing things, but I'm not just dealing with Noah, I'm dealing with Puck, too, and even though," he tapped his knuckles on the table a few times, "knock on wood, I haven't been hounded too much by paparazzi or a lot of fans here, but I know I'll be seen around and I don't want it known that she and I just met and started dating yesterday, because I know what the fans will think she is, or," he cleared his throat, "what she is offering, and," he motioned between them, "we're not even near that idea yet."

The two fathers exchanged glances, Alan nodded moments later, "I see what you're getting at. Rachel, what do you feel about this?"

Rachel looked at her fathers, "I'm... I think it is a good idea. As long as we keep the details as minimal as possible and the less that people know the better, it should work," she admitted. "I also want a chance to see where things go. At least with that slight background story, if we're seen out in public it won't be as surprising and maybe a little less confusion since before now, we have not even been together."

David looked at them, "do your parents know of this idea, yet?" He asked slowly.

"No, sir," Noah shook his head, "I wanted to tell you both and ask for your permission before I even discussed it with them."

"What if we don't give you permission?" David asked curiously.

"We stick to the family friend's story that Elliott released and that is that," Noah replied, "I would not even think of bringing this up about your daughter without your permission."

"We appreciate that," Alan said looking at him, "and it seems to me you have our daughter's best interest in mind and given the situation with your popularity, I do understand the need for some sort of explanation. I am for it, if your parents are. David?" Alan looked over to his husband.

David took a deep breath, "before I answer, I want a few questions answered."

"I'll answer them," Noah assured him.

"What are your plans for our daughter? Date her until you leave again? Continue a long distance relationship?" David asked.

Noah glanced at Rachel, "I want a chance to get to know her and see where things go. I will not break-up with her because I have to leave. If we do break-up, it'll be because we don't have anything in common. I know we are a year apart so she'll still be here for a year after I do leave, but I'll remain faithful to her. After that, I'm told she wants to go to school in New York, so she could easily move there and we'd be together again. I'll still be home as much as I can; dad and I usually come home once every two months for a few days to a week, so we'd see each other then."

David nodded, "alright, so what about right now? While you're here?"

"We spend a lot of time at each others' houses. For the time being I don't want to be going out a lot until the newness of Puck being home has worn off. Hang out; go bowling, be a normal couple as much as we can be; and I'll try and talk her into coming to a few home games," he explained glancing at Rachel.

Rachel nodded, "of course I'll come," she smiled, "I've never been to a football game, and don't know anything about it, but I'm sure I'll figure it out," she added.

"The same questions for you, Rachel, what are your plans for right now?" David asked, wanting to know as much as possible about what was going on in the minds of his daughter and her boyfriend.

"Take things slow, daddy. You know I don't go out much and I find things to occupy me at home, and it works out so Noah doesn't have to be out in town a lot, other than a few dinners or dates, when we do decide to go out. We can be here or at his house and do our homework and work on Glee music; he has a dance studio in their basement so we could work out the choreography or I could show him the dances I know," Rachel blushed, looking at him, "sorry I should probably ask you if we could do that," she said.

He shrugged, "I'm game," he admitted, "fine with me. I still need to figure out 'Don't Stop Believin',' so it's a good place to practice it."

David watched the two more a moment; both of them were leaning back in their seats, slightly turned to the other, talking casually, and he could see his daughter was relaxed and comfortable, which was something he wasn't used to seeing, but it was also a nice change; she was normally very focused, sometimes rushed with her time because she always had a lot on her plate and seemed uptight and frustrated when things didn't go her way. Clearing his throat, he got their attention, "Noah, you've got to do something for me, well us," he motioned between him and Alan.

Noah nodded, "what is it?"

"I know you play sports, so you have practice after school and games, but I would like you over at least once, maybe twice a week for dinner. It's usually our only family time and we, just as much as Rachel, would like to get to know you. I'm aware that you have friends and family that you have not been around much in the past years, so I understand if it can only be once, but I'm asking for at least that. I know you said you'll both be doing this anyway, but it's a request that you continue it."

"I'll be over," Noah assured him, "I only play football, so once the season is over, the only after school activity I'll be in is Glee, so I'd be happy to come over and I know we'll both probably split our time between being at my place and here, and I'm sure my parents will suggest something similar so we're not always just here or there."

"Okay," David nodded, "you've got my permission," he told them.

Noah exhaled and nodded, "thank you, sir," he said in relief.

Dinner seemed to end after that conversation and her dads did the dishes so they could start on their homework.

The teachers of both of the classes they had together, Pre-Calculus and Earth Science, gave them homework, and she had Spanish, so they settled in to do their science and then worked on their math, chatting lightly about classes, school and anything else that came to mind. While doing the same work, in the same room, they were across the living room on opposite couches; Rachel was worried if their answers or the work to get the answers looked exactly the same, they could be accused of cheating, so she made it a point to tell him that and suggested he sit on the other couch.

As the nine o'clock hour got closer, Noah had finished his homework and stuffed his books into his bag, "I should probably get home. I need to talk to my parents and my sister should be asleep, so it's the perfect time to tell them," he commented standing by the end of the couch she was still sitting on.

"That is probably the best idea," Rachel pulled a piece of paper out of her binder and wrote her email address on it, "I'll be up for a while longer, in case you wanted to write something up and send it to me to read before you give it to your manager," she suggested.

He nodded, "I will; was gonna ask you for this anyway," he ripped the large piece of paper in half; sticking the half with her address into his pocket and then moved to the coffee table, reached for her pencil and wrote his down, sliding them both back to her.

Rachel read it over, "wow, it's long."

"Yeah, my names are easy to find, so I chose something longer and none of my name are in it; just my birth month and day," he admitted. "I should probably tell your dads goodbye," he said realizing since dinner he hadn't seen the two.

"They're probably in the other room watching TV," she said, motioning towards the other part of the house.

Noah followed her and they stepped into the smaller room where her dads were watching some TV drama. The four talked briefly, Noah said 'goodnight' to them and he and Rachel walked towards the front of the house. Grabbing his bag he stepped to the door and Rachel followed him outside and onto the porch.

The cool night air hit them both; even for early September, the nights got cool as soon as it got dark, so as they both got outside, he turned and noticed her shiver. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, pressing a kiss to her cheek, "you don't have to walk me out to my car," he murmured, "It's too cold out here for you to be in a skirt."

Rachel slipped her arms around him and nodded, "I suppose it's time to start changing into warmer clothes," she admitted as her head lay against his chest, hearing his heartbeat, "but this is nice, too."

Noah smiled and rubbed his hands along her back gently, "yeah, it is," he agreed, not wanting to leave, but knowing he had a long conversation ahead of him with his parents. "I'd stay longer, babe, but I do have to get home," he whispered.

She let a light sigh escape her lips, but nodded in understanding, "I know. Goodnight, Noah," she replied, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips.

Tightening his arms around her body briefly, he continued the kiss for a moment longer before letting her go, "goodnight, Rach, see you tomorrow morning," he said softly, pressing a quick kiss on her lips before heading down the steps and crossed the sidewalk to his SUV, turning back to wave at her before getting in and starting his engine.

Rachel waited until his SUV pulled away from the curb before she stepped back inside, already missing the warmth around her from his hug, "I'm living in a dream world," she whispered to an empty foyer as she moved into the living room to collect her school things and head up to her room.

Pulling his SUV into up to the house and parking in his usual spot, Noah shut the garage and went inside, hearing the TV on, so he knew his parents were still up. Dropping his stuff by the stairs, he walked into the living room and plopped down on the loveseat. "Hey mom, hey dad," he said.

"Hey Noah, have a nice night with Rachel?" Deborah asked, glancing at him.

"Yeah, hey, um, can we talk?" He asked nervously.

"Sure, what's up?" Ethan asked turning off the TV and looking over at their son.

Noah began to explain the days' events with his parents; the morning 'meeting', the discovery of their names in the song, his idea he suggested to Rachel at lunch and then asking her dads' permission to even try something like that, and why he asked her dads first and not his own parents. As he finished, he looked at them. His mom's eyes were wide and his dad was staring at him in shock. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath, "I know you guys are probably really shocked right now, which is why I'm glad I'm over here and not sitting near you because I'm sure one or both of you will want to hit me upside the head..."

"NOAH AARON PUCKERMAN! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" Deborah exclaimed, jumping up to begin pacing, much like Rachel had done when he first suggested it to her. "There are too many holes! What if you're asked a question and Rachel is asked the same and they don't match up?"

Noah looked at his mom, "it's none of anyone's business about our private lives, so I wouldn't answer any about her and I would hope she wouldn't answer them about me... Besides, we would only tell those we trust and the rest know what is released; the same about what was said yesterday. It still is us starting to date yesterday; it's just adding in that we knew each other prior to 'Puck' and had contact through email and the phone."

Deborah stopped pacing, worry evident on her face as she retook her seat next to Ethan and looked at him, having been silent the whole time. "Say something, Ethan," Deborah snapped.

Ethan shook from his thoughts, "I think it's a good idea. It's the back story that Elliott wanted. He was concerned that them just meeting would cause a bigger stir, and mentioned us coming up with a way to say they met before and this would be perfect. Keep the details vague enough, and the protecting her identity is a good thing to add in. It would also explain why he has never had a girlfriend and why she never dated before him, but your mom is right; you two should sit down and discuss your favorites; stuff that might be asked to make sure you guys know each other; if someone asked you both what her favorite color is and your answer didn't match Rachel's... one time would be easy to mistake, but if it happened more, then questions could arise about just how well you guys do know each other," he explained and noticing his wife and son staring at him, he shrugged, "what?"

"Why didn't you say that Elliott was concerned about that?" Noah asked.

"Because I would have figured you would have called him by now, but apparently not, so that was his concern. Go write up something to send him and let me read it, then I'll call him and tell him and we'll send it to him and he can deal with it in the morning," he said seeing it was close to ten and knew Elliott would be up still.

Noah moved to stand up, looking at his mom, "uh, mom?"

Deborah took a breath and nodded, "it's a lie I'm not happy about, but I do understand the need for something more than 'family friends' for an answer," she said, "it's okay. As long as her dads' and yours is alright with it, I am, too," she told him.

Moving to his mom, he gave her a hug and kiss on the forehead before grabbing his stuff and jogging up to his room. He sent Rachel a text that he'd be sending her an email in a bit and quickly set to work after opening his laptop up on his desk. She responded she'd be up and to send it when he was finished, so he typed as fast as he could and his dad came in moments later, reading what he had over his shoulder.

"I told Rachel I'd email her what we were going to send to Elliott, so she can okay it before we do," he said.

Ethan nodded, "are you done?" he motioned to the screen.

"Yeah, I think so," Noah reread the words and nodded, "yeah."

"Okay, send it to Rachel and when she replies back, email it to me. I'll be in the office. Let me know when you send it."

"Okay," Noah nodded and pulled up his email and tugged hers from his pocket and typed it in and then copy and pasted the text into an email and sent it to her. While he waited he changed for bed and within a few minutes Rachel replied, "_I believe that covers it all. Sounds good. See you in the morning, Rachel._"

With confirmation from her he responded with a quick message and then sent the info to his dad and went out and down the hall to their office and knocked, seeing his dad on the phone, "I sent it. Going to bed, night," Noah said waving at him and moving back into his room. "_Okay, so that went better than I thought, now I just hope that the explosion doesn't happen... I'm sure Rachel will want to have another Glee meeting in the morning,_" Noah thought, a smirk crossing his face, "_but hey, at least everyone agrees in our families; Finn is going to love this._"

...

A/N4: And so this ends the second day of school. Big progression coming up (to mid-November) so I'm looking forward to what y'all think of it.

A/N5: So RL kicked me in the rear! I finally got in to the doctor about 5 days ago and found out for the past few months I've been fighting a sinus infection; and I thought it was just allergies, but it wasn't. Feeling better slowly, so I'm still not writing too much all at once, but hopefully soon I'll be able to be more focused on writing. It's the only thing that keeps me sane, but with my head feeling like it's gonna pop, not very easy to write.

A/N6: Thank you so much for all the reviews! I am trying to get back into replying, but again, it's tough right now, but I do read them all. I appreciate each and everyone of you that reads and reviews, so a huge thank you to all of you! You all rock!

A/N7: Follow me on Twitter: ( twitter . com / ej8302 )

...


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: In celebration of Glee; here's the next chapter of Starlight. I wish I could have had another chapter of 'Out of the Blue', too, but not for a few more days, sadly. :(

...

Elliott really liked what Noah had come up with, so the next day he released the statement, which included her first name, but it was late enough in the day that the news would not hit the students until after school.

Noah and Rachel had time to warn their friends in Glee with another meeting before school; Finn got a kick out of it and promised to pass the news onto his mom and Matt and Mike were neutral about it; all three guys stuck by Noah and Rachel, just like friends do. Quinn, Santana and Brittany took the news okay, agreeing to support them, and Quinn started being more social with Rachel; considering they were dating guys that were practically brothers. Mercedes, Artie, Tina and Kurt all were concerned, but after the discussion from the day before, they stood behind the couple and they were thankful that all of their friends in Glee were understanding.

Since the news didn't hit until after school, it was Thursday that school went crazy. Noah was bombarded by questions from fans of all grades; not just the Freshmen class, but thankfully Matt, Mike and Finn were able to keep things under control as his pseudo-bodyguards.

As Noah had said before, Puck's fans were loyal and he found that most of them were okay with his relationship; supporting their classmates and trying to treat him as a person and not just a celebrity, but not everyone felt the same; some didn't like it, but both Rachel and Noah were protected by the majority of the school.

By the end of the first week of school, newspapers, gossip blogs, entertainment news shows, radio stations and everyone else in between were covering the 'story' of Puck and his first girlfriend.

The first Friday of school was also the first home football game of the season, and Rachel drove there alone, but met his family and happened to notice Tina was there by herself, so she called Tina over and she joined them; there to support her brother, Mike, also friends of Finn, Matt and Noah and a member of Glee.

With Noah playing wide receiver, he happened to get tackled and when he had gotten hit during one play, the entire stadium gasped, waiting to see if he got up. When he stood, the whole stadium cheered him on. Noah knew that most of them were really just there to see 'Puck' play football, so he waved to both sides quickly before getting back into the game.

They lost the game, which wasn't too surprising for the team, but the stands were full, so the team shrugged it off; glad they were actually getting seen playing ball.

The couple spent the weekend together; Noah spent Saturday at Rachel's and she spent Sunday at his place; they did homework, she suckered him into watching his DVDs, since she hadn't had a chance yet, and then the rest of the time they talked about his music, their likes and dislikes; getting to know each other.

The two agreed that on days of Glee practice after school, Noah would pick her up for school and after practice they'd go back to her place for the night. Monday was one of those days and as the couple arrived at the school in Noah's SUV, Rachel got her first taste of paparazzi. They were all dying to get pictures of them. From a distance, Noah saw Finn, Matt and Mike standing by the main doors, but the few paparazzi there seemed to be ignoring them. Tugging his hood over his head, the couple made their way to the doors of the school, hoping to slip by.

As Finn and the guys saw them, he moved forward, "yo, Aaron! About time you got here!"

Rachel looked at her boyfriend and he smiled, "I love my best friend," he smiled, "sorry I had to pick up my girl," he replied as the three boys walked over to them.

The five walked into the school and Finn started laughing as soon as the doors were closed, "I can't believe that worked!"

"Neither can I," Noah admitted, pushing his hood off his head and looking around, glad they weren't getting bombarded by fans as they walked deeper into the school, "thanks guys."

"You're welcome. When Tina and I got here a little while ago, I saw them, so I grabbed the other two and we figured we'd help out if need be," Mike explained.

"Very gentlemanly of you all," Rachel smiled at them, "thank you."

...

When Ethan, Noah's dad, heard about the paparazzi at school, he was pissed. He was still a 'volunteer' cop in town, meaning he didn't work all the time, but he still carried a badge, so he worked out a deal with the police department that if Noah, Rachel or anyone involved with Noah felt threatened by the paparazzi around town, they could call a number and a police car would be sent to wherever they were to take care of the problem.

As quick as the paparazzi arrived in Lima, they realized the townspeople and police were full on protecting Puck and his girlfriend, so they gave in and left within a week.

The couple continued their routine; on Glee days, he'd pick her up and take her to school, they'd go to her place after school, have dinner with her dads and do homework. On days he had practice, sometimes she'd meet him at his house, they'd have dinner with his family, do homework and hang out like friends would, while other days, she'd stay at her house and they would chat online or email, so they could have time to themselves.

As the football season progressed, Rachel, his parents and sister would go to the home games, but they didn't go to the away games; only his dad would go for his son and to make sure there were not any issues with security at another school.

In late September, Kurt, Brittany and Tina were at Kurt's house and Brittany accidentally told his dad he was the kicker on the football team, so between Noah and Finn they got Kurt a chance on the team, which brought the rest of the Glee members to the home games. With the football players and Cheerios already there, Mercedes and Artie began coming to the games, sitting with Noah's family, Tina and Rachel, completing the Glee Club's attendance at the games.

...

Rachel knocked lightly on the Puckerman's front door; something she'd done many times in the past and expected her boyfriend to answer, but this time his dad did. He smiled at her, "hey Rachel, come on in," he greeted, moving aside for her.

"Thank you, Ethan. How are you?" She asked.

He laughed, "just fine. Entertained, actually," he admitted.

Rachel raised a curious eyebrow, "what do you mean?"

"I'll show you," he laughed, motioning for her to follow him.

She eyed him a moment, but chose to follow and he led her towards the living room and she gasped, "oh my!"

The couches and the coffee table were pushed out from the center of the room and sitting in the middle was her boyfriend in a sea of envelopes of all shapes, sizes and colors.

Glancing up from his spot in the middle of the floor, Noah saw her, "hey babe."

"Hello, Noah," she moved around the couch, but stopped when she hit the edge of the mass of envelopes. "What is all this?"

"Like two months worth of fan mail," he replied.

"Now you see what I mean by being entertained," Ethan commented taking a seat on one of the couches.

Rachel nodded, "yes, I do see that. This is just two months worth of mail?"

"No, this is just a portion," Noah motioned a few feet away to the two other brown boxes stacked up, "that's the rest."

"Wow," she muttered, "when did you get all this?"

"Elliott shipped it from his office in New York and it just got here a few hours ago; that's why I told you I couldn't go to your place today, but you were welcome to come over here," he explained.

"Now it all makes sense. I was a little confused since you told me last night you'd come over," she admitted digging out her camera and taking a picture of him in the middle of all the colors.

"Yeah, sorry about that. If I would have known this would arrive today I would have told you, but it surprised me," he replied pushing the envelopes away from him at his side and then patted the floor, "come on over, you can help," he smiled. "If you want to," he added.

"I don't mind helping, but are you sure? It's kind of personal for you," she said setting her bag and camera down on the couch before stepping towards him and sank down on her knees, and then sat completely down, folding her legs under her since she was in a skirt.

"It's fine," he assured her, "I don't mind and you're gonna be a big Broadway star so consider this practice," he laughed wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her lips in greeting.

Ethan smirked, "I'll leave you two alone," he laughed getting up and pushing a large plastic bin and a cardboard box towards them, "have fun," he called leaving the room.

Rachel noticed there were already a few things in the plastic box and then she glanced at the open cardboard one, "so what is what? Do you respond to all of these?" She asked looking around.

"No, I do read them all, but I only respond to the meaningful ones," he admitted. "The cardboard box is for the ones that I read and don't want to respond to, the plastic box is for the ones I'll reply to," he shrugged, then motioned around, "just grab a stack and get to it."

"Should I maybe open them and hand them to you?" She asked, "if you want to read them, it doesn't make sense for me to read them, too," she suggested.

"Nah. Honestly, it'll have to have a second set of eyes. Ones that tell me my music is meaningful and has helped them in their life or something like that, I'll respond to, ones that say 'Oh my God you're hot' I don't respond to," he smirked. "There are more of those than anything," he admitted.

Now understanding what he meant, the two set to work to get through the first box with of letters and Rachel could easily see what he meant. Most of the letters were very short with telling him how 'hot' he is, some girls sent marriage proposals, requesting personal performances, but in the mass of those were a few girls or young women explaining that his music had helped them or it brought friends and family together... When Rachel ran across one of those, she'd pass it to him and he'd read over it and add it to the plastic bin to respond to, while the rest was quickly filling up the cardboard box.

The pile on the floor slowly got smaller and soon every envelope had been opened and looked over. It was just nearing noon; with two people working on it, it went a lot faster, "and those are just the ones from August," he told her.

"What?"

He motioned to the other two boxes, "I did this in early August with all the ones up to July. The box we just went through was from August and the other two are from September; since I started back at McKinley and got a girlfriend," he explained.

"Oh, um, wow," she stared at the boxes, wondering just what would be in there.

"If you don't feel comfortable reading them, I understand," he admitted, "there probably will be some hate mail," he explained.

"Um, no, I can handle it," she took a deep breath, "it's fine."

"Alright," he hopped up and used the box cutter to open the next box and poured it out, by them and then retook his seat by her, "hey Rach," he turned to her, taking her hands in his.

She looked down at their hands confused, "yes?"

"I just want you to know that no matter what you see in there, nothing will change my feelings for you, okay? So don't take any of it personally," he whispered.

"I know, Noah. I won't. I can not predict what will be in there, but I hope I've prepared myself enough with the thoughts that not every one of your fans likes the idea of you having a girlfriend," she told him, "I'll do my best and I'm sure they might get upset, but I know none of this reflects your feelings," she promised.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, "good, I'm glad you feel that way," he told her.

Rachel smiled at him and the two settled back into their routine. As expected at least one out of four of the letters they opened had nasty comments about his choice in a girlfriend, that he deserved better, or he should remain single. Those letters quickly went into the burn box and a large portion of the other letters joined them, but there were a lot that supported his relationship, thought he was doing the right thing by going back to real high school, it was a great message to kids that no matter what your 'job' an education is important, and those he felt were worth responding to, so they added those to the keep box.

By one-thirty in the afternoon they were almost done with the second box of letters and his mom and sister had returned to the house after a shopping trip and made a late lunch. Rachel and Noah took a little break for lunch and got back to the mail. Once Rachel sat down and they gathered up the final remaining ones from the second box, Noah opened the last box and poured it on the floor before taking a seat next to her again.

"Thank you for helping me with this," Noah said as he picked up a letter.

"You're welcome," Rachel replied glancing at him from a letter she had been reading.

He turned a little towards her, "you don't have to be doing this, but I appreciate the help," he explained pressing a kiss to her lips, "and I enjoy hanging out with you, too," he added.

Rachel ducked her head in a blush, but nodded, "I am enjoying spending time with you, too, and thank you for sharing this with me. It... It makes me feel a little closer to the other part of you I'm still learning a lot about," she admitted.

"You're welcome. Some days I feel like I have multiple personality disorder. I know that's not maybe not a good description, but it feels like it. Puck is this popular singer who has girls throwing themselves at him and he's in the spotlight all the time, while Noah is just this normal kid, who has parents and a little sister, friends, a girlfriend, and goes to high school, but his life is overtaken by the celebrity that is Puck," he took a deep breath and continued, "thankfully things at school are starting to calm down, but town is still getting used to me being home again. I didn't tell you this, but the other day my mom and I went to the store and I had several middle school girls surrounding me," he sighed.

"They're just not used to seeing you on a daily basis like we are at school," she said softly, "but it will get better," she promised leaning against him.

He gave her a half-smile and slipped his arms around her, "I want to take my girlfriend out on a proper date, but until things settle down some more, I don't want us to be interrupted every five minutes by a fan," he sighed.

Looking up at him, she pressed a kiss to his lips, "Noah, what we're doing is just fine," she told him, "I understand, and to be honest, before we met, I didn't go out a lot. I'd go to movies or the mall with friends, but that was it. You don't have to take me out, someday when things have settled down, sure we can go, but until then, I'm perfectly content spending time here or at my house with you," she told him, "okay?"

He stared down at her and nodded, "you know you're amazing, right?"

She gasped a little at his words, "I am?"

Noah pressed a kiss to her lips before tightening his arms around her, "yes you are. Thank you for being so understanding about all this; not many girls would be," he whispered.

"You're welcome, Noah," she settled in his arms.

The two remained together for a few moments before they got back to what they had been doing.

Slowly the pile got smaller and Rachel picked up a blue envelope and opened it. Pulling out the paper she read the words on the page and she gasped loudly, her free hand going to her mouth, "she needs to get her information straight," Rachel commented thrusting the letter to him.

Noah took it and finished his, adding it to the burn pile and then read over the one she handed him, "what do you mean?" he asked folding the paper, replacing it in the envelope and added it to the respond pile.

"You're going to respond to that? She isn't even right!" Rachel exclaimed shifting to look at him.

"Yes she is," he looked at her, "you don't know I have my nipples pierced?" He asked, "I thought you Google'd pictures," he smirked.

"Of course I did, but I never saw any with your shirt off!" She exclaimed, rubbing her hands over her face in confusion, "you're serious? How come I don't know this?"

"Uh, babe, we've barely gotten past hugging and kissing yet," he said, "and I know there are pictures of me from on the beach or in a pool, so they are out there," he added, but looked at her, "you want to see?"

She blushed, "I..." She ducked her head, embarrassed at the topic.

Noah slipped his hand under her chin and lifted her head so he could look at her, "Rach, I never told you because I thought you'd see pictures online or read the articles about me getting them done. We've only known each other a month so I didn't want to bring it up because that's not... well I didn't feel it was appropriate to discuss since we're taking it slow," he explained softly.

Nodding, she looked at him, "I understand, Noah," she admitted, "can I... Would you... Both of them?" She asked confused.

Tugging his t-shirt and undershirt up, he made sure both were visible and watched as her eyes widened in shock, "yes both of them," he said softly, letting his shirt down.

"Why?"

He took a deep breath, "I was pissed because I had been pulled out of McKinley and I guess I wanted to retaliate a little to the label and do something that a teen pop star wouldn't be seen doing normally, so I thought of a piercing. I can't even remember if we were in NYC or LA, but wherever it was you had to be eighteen or older to get piercings without parental consent. I kind of gave dad an ultimatum, either give me consent or I'd lie about my age. I knew no matter where I got it everyone would be pissed and worried about PR, but I figured at least if I went with my nipples no one would see them except me, or anyone who sees me swimming or on the beach," he shrugged, "I could have only gotten one done, but I went with both just to be done with it," he explained.

"Didn't they hurt?" She asked, resisting the urge to reach out and see if she could feel them through his shirt.

"Oh hell yeah, but a few days of Ibuprofen and ice they didn't hurt anymore. They're a reminder that in all that mess, I did something for myself, no matter what anyone thought of them," he explained taking her hand and pressing it against his chest.

Feeling the hard metal through his shirt, Rachel blushed even more, "I... they're... I don't know what to say," she admitted.

"As long you're not freaked out, we're good," he smirked.

"No, I'm not freaked out, just shocked," she replied taking her hand away.

"Understandable," he nodded leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips, "and someday we'll see just what other uses they have," he murmured, watching her eyes widen. Smiling he kissed her again before casually returning back to the letters.

...

In the middle of October, Noah got an invitation to a movie premiere in Los Angeles and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go, but then decided he would. He could bring one more guest, because his dad took up one of the spots, so Noah knew just who he'd ask, but he needed to make sure she'd be interested.

It was a cool October Monday, a Glee practice day, so Noah and Rachel were going over to her house after. Pulling up in front of the Berry's house, the two slid out of his SUV and headed up the walkway to the door. Her dads weren't home yet, so they went inside and while she gathered up things to make dinner, he sat down at the island in the kitchen and checked his email, "I don't know why you won't let me help with dinner," Noah commented with a laugh.

"It's okay, Noah. I don't mind. I'm used to it. I like to cook," she replied honestly.

"I know, but I feel like the lazy boyfriend who won't do anything," he admitted looking over at her.

"Noah," she moved over and pressed a kiss to his lips, "don't worry about it. You're not lazy," she assured him before returning to the counter where she'd been.

"Thanks," he smirked and shook his head; he liked the whole 'domestic life' they had currently, but he did want to 'go out' with is girlfriend, but he had to be careful. "So, um, what kind of books do you like to read?" He asked.

She stopped cutting the vegetables and looked at him, "what? Where did that come from?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know. We haven't talked books before and I know I've read more than I expected to at this time in my life," he admitted.

"Oh, um, why?"

"Flights and bus rides are long," he shrugged.

"Oh, well, I like Nicolas Sparks novels. I've read most of them before they became movies; 'Dear John', 'The Notebook'; well 'Dear John' won't be out in theaters until February, but I know they are making it into a movie. He just had one come out back in September called 'The Last Song' that I think they are also turning into a movie," she admitted.

He smirked, "so you're a romance reader?"

"I suppose so. I do read other books, but I like happy endings. He is a very good author," she added.

"You don't have to defend them to me, it's cool," he shrugged. "I like Dan Brown. I just got the Lost Symbol about a month ago when it came out, but surprisingly, I haven't had time to read it, but I've read 'The DiVinci Code' and 'Angels & Demons' and he's got a few others that I've read, but I didn't read any of them until I saw 'The DiVinci Code' as a movie."

"So you like thrillers?" She asked.

"Not necessarily, but they are cool. I like action; the Borne novels are good, racing, thriller, action, some sci-fi... And I've been known to read classics like 'Night' by Elie Wiesel, but well, it's more like a novel that everyone should read," he explained.

Rachel nodded, "I agree. I have read it myself."

"I've also read a bunch of teen novels," he added.

"Really? What ones?" She asked.

"Well the 'Harry Potter' series is a big one," he commented, "then a bunch of just teen novels, nothing specific as single books, but I got into a few series'. Just finished reading the Twilight series for the second time."

Rachel gasped from where she was and turned around, "you what?"

"Yeah, call me weird, but yes, I read them. I hadn't read them until after I saw the first movie last year, but now I'm into them," he said, "have you read them?"

She blushed, "yes, I have. They are my," she paused, "no one knows I've read them."

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Well, Mercedes and Tina have read them, and so has Kurt. I did, too, but I... I don't tell many that I have read them because I like keeping something personal. They're all into them and so am I, I just don't advertise," she said ducking her head.

"So why did you tell me?"

"Because I feel as though you won't judge me or assume anything," she replied.

"So it's more about you don't think they would believe you read them because of the type of person you are?" He got up and moved over to her, "well, if that's what you think, I won't say anything, but," he grinned, "I have something to ask you," he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

She was confused at his movements, but looked up at him, "what is it?"

He smiled at her, "I've been invited to the premiere of 'New Moon' in LA in November and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

Rachel gasped, "are you serious? Me?"

He nodded, "yes, I'm serious. I'd like to take my girlfriend," he smiled, resting a hand against her cheek.

"I don't know what to say," she admitted.

He looked at her, "well, you could start by saying if you'd like to go," he grinned.

"Oh!" She blushed, "of course. I'd love to go, Noah. I have just never been given the opportunity for something like this. When is it?"

He bit his lip and leaned against the counter, "it's November 16th; it's a Monday," he replied softly.

Her eyes widened, "but we'll miss school!" she gasped.

After dating for almost six weeks he knew she never missed a class, "I know," he said softly, "and I understand if you don't want to go because of it, but we'll miss at most two days of school. I kind of agreed to do some of this stuff to keep up appearances and I'd really like my girlfriend to come along," he admitted.

She smiled up at him and nodded, "I... I suppose missing a few days of school would not be too bad. I will have to ask my dads first, and are you sure it'll be alright?" She asked.

"I'm sure. I already talked to dad; he's just waiting on me to let him know if you're coming along so he knows how many plane tickets to get."

"He's going?"

"Yes, we're not eighteen yet," he admitted.

"Oh, I see... Well, then as long as my dads are alright with it, I will go with you," she replied.

"That's great!" He smiled, wrapping his arms around her, "I'm glad," he added pressing a kiss to her lips.

...

Rachel's dads were hesitant to let her go, but after a discussion with Noah's dad, they were assured their daughter would be well taken care of and agreed to let her go.

Rachel and Noah decided to keep their trip a secret for the time being until it got closer to the date, but Noah did tell Finn they were going to LA for a weekend.

As the date of the premiere approached, the Glee members still didn't know, aside from Finn, but Rachel needed advice. As Glee practice ended one Thursday afternoon in early November, Rachel approached Kurt, "Kurt, may I speak with you a moment?" She asked.

"Of course, what can I do for you?" He stood up and put his bag over his shoulder.

"Uh, Rach, you ready to go?" Noah asked.

She turned to her boyfriend, "I'll be out in a moment. I just need to talk to Kurt about something."

"Okay, I'll meet you at my SUV," he said nodding at them, before walking out of the room with Finn.

Turning back to Kurt, Rachel noticed Mercedes was also still there. "I need some advice on something to wear-"

"Like a makeover? I'm in," Kurt responded, "you need to update your wardrobe," he added looking over her sweater and skirt she wore.

"Kurt!" Rachel snapped, "I'm not asking for a makeover, I just need some advice on something to wear," she clarified.

"For what?" Mercedes asked as the three started to leave the choir room.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel looked at her friends, "in a little over a week Noah is taking me to Los Angeles and we are going to a movie premiere. I don't have a clue what I should wear to it," Rachel explained. 

The two friends gasped at her words, "oh my God! What one?" Mercedes exclaimed, stopping in her tracks.

"Come on, tell us!" Kurt jumped in.

Rachel blushed, "um," she bit her lip, debating on if she should tell them, " 'New Moon'," she said softly.

Mercedes and Kurt's eyes widened and both started asking Rachel questions and jumping up and down in excitement, but Rachel tried to remain calmer than they were, but she did smile at them, "Mercedes, Kurt, please," Rachel begged, a blush continuing on her cheeks.

Glancing at her, Mercedes took a deep breath, "sorry, but this is just epic, Rachel. Do you know what this means?" She asked.

"You're in!" Kurt replied hugging her.

"I'm dating Noah. He does have a job that puts him in the public spotlight, but he's not like a typical arrogant or stuck-up celebrity," she explained, "he's sweet and charming and so much more," she smiled lightly.

"Girl, can't you just get excited for once; you're dating Puck. No matter what spin you put on it, you are dating one of the hottest guys under 21 in the world!" Mercedes exclaimed. "There are girls who would kill to be where you are... Okay, well, not _kill_, but you get what I mean; there are a lot of girls out there who dream of being where you are."

Rachel took a deep breath and looked at them, "okay, when you put it that way," Rachel giggled, "it does sound 'epic'."

"Oh it is," Kurt smiled slipping an arm around her shoulder as they continued to walk, "so now, you want advice on something to wear?" He questioned.

"Yes," Rachel nodded, "I have a lot of clothes and I'm sure I can find something in my wardrobe, but this isn't like I'm just going to the movies with you guys here... We'll be in LA and Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner will be only feet away," she admitted with a blush.

"Okay, first off, remember who you're going with and second, what is he wearing?" Mercedes asked.

"I don't know," Rachel admitted.

"Then let's ask him," Kurt said as the three walked towards the parking lot.

Noah was leaning against his SUV, killing time by checking his email on his phone, when he heard footsteps. Looking up he saw his girlfriend, Kurt and Mercedes, "hey guys, what's up?" He asked slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"I told them we were going to see New Moon in LA, because I have no clue what to wear. Do you know what you are wearing?" She asked.

He glanced down at what he was wearing, skater shoes, jeans, t-shirt and Letterman's jacket, "probably this, minus the jacket; this is kind of a Puck signature. It's a movie premiere; we don't have to dress up," he explained.

Kurt looked at him and then Rachel, "you probably want to go with something just as casual, but I think we need to inspect your wardrobe," Kurt commented, "just to see if we can find anything in there to wear," he said.

Rachel nodded, "come over Saturday, then," she replied.

...

The following night, Friday, was the final football game for McKinley. They played a home game and lost, but Noah had managed to score a few touchdowns and they had won a couple games of the season; so to they ended on a high note.

Mercedes and Kurt came over on Saturday to go through Rachel's wardrobe and they did find something for her to wear.

...

The first few weeks of their relationship were the rockiest; getting through the news clips, the rumors and gossiping that the media was doing with Puck's new relationship, but slowly they died down and Noah and Rachel were left with just comments from his fans. Most of the fans stood by him and supported him in his relationship, but there were a good portion of them that started a 'Keep Puck Single' campaign, but slowly the supportive fans knocked them down or converted them to supporting him.

With the release of the statement that they were going with, it also said that Puck was Jewish. He was more concerned about that than he was about what they'd think of his relationship. The majority if his fans thought it was 'cool' or didn't care either way, but some were still skeptical that he was, so he fixed that and on his website, Facebook and Twitter, he posted a message: 'I have been and always will be Jewish.' As with every other tidbit of his life that he released, there were a few 'haters', but they were overpowered by the support, so Noah brushed off the negatives and kept with the positives.

In the two and a half months since they had been dating, Noah and Rachel went from not knowing a thing about each other to almost knowing the others' life story. They stayed true to their word about taking it slow; holding hands, walking together with their arms wrapped around each other, hugging and kissing seemed to be what they went with for a good while, giving them a chance to truly get to know the other. The more they learned the more comfortable and relaxed they got around each other; their relationship slowly growing as time went on.

...

As another week passed, their 'adventure' was almost on them. Friday, at the end of school, Rachel, Noah, Kurt and Mercedes walked towards their lockers and Noah waited for Rachel, watching her stuff all of her books into her bag, "uh, babe, seriously?"

"Noah, our teachers were nice enough to give us work so when we come back to school on Wednesday we won't be behind," Rachel told him, "we're leaving on Sunday morning and will be back on Tuesday, so that does not leave us much time to do our homework."

"Babe, I know that, but who gave you homework? Mr. Schuester just told me to read over the chapter in Spanish we're working on and to study the vocabulary. In my English class, I have like three chapters of a book to read to keep up with them since we're reading it in class and my history teacher just told me to look over the new section we're starting, so the only work we really have is in science and math, unless you're English and history teacher really piled on the work; I know Mr. Schue wouldn't," he commented honestly.

Rachel sighed, looking down at her books, "well, I need to read my history chapter and we're only really working on the first draft of our research paper that is due next Friday. I suppose I don't need to take all the books along." Pulling out her English textbook, she pushed it back into her locker and then checked over her bag, "I'll try and do some of my history reading before we leave so I don't have to take as many books," she admitted.

Noah nodded, "that's my plan. It won't take me long to pack, so I figure I'll get my English and history work done tomorrow and take math, Spanish and science along and we can work on it together," he told her.

"Alright, I will try and do the same thing," she replied double checking her locker, "so we're really going to LA, aren't we?"

"Yes we really are," he smiled wrapping his arms around her in a hug, "I hope to show you a few sights while we're there," he added.

"Then I have an idea," she stated.

"What's what?" He asked looking down at her.

"We do our math and science homework together tonight and then we focus on our English and History tomorrow before we leave and then we'll only have Spanish to take care of while we're gone and we can help each other practice," she replied, "unless you have to get home for something tonight."

"Nope, I figured I'd come over for a few hours. The less homework I have to do while we're gone the better, so I'm in," he smiled.

...

Noah was laying on the Berry's couch, his arms wrapped around his girlfriend as she laid against him, the two occupying their time with an extra-curricular activity that they began to enjoy; making-out. They'd just gotten there from school and they had a few hours before her dads would be home, so they were taking some time for themselves.

He brushed his hand through her brunette locks and let his hand trial down to her shoulder before resting on her lower back. Rachel felt his hands against her back and the warmth they gave off seemed to send sparks through her body, like his touches always did, but recently the feelings were more intense, surprising her enough to gasp and pull her lips from his, her hand resting against his chest as she gently shifted.

"What? What's wrong?" He stared at her concerned, "did I do something?"

She quickly shook her head, "no, nothing like that," she blushed, "when you touch me... Recently the sparks are more like fireworks," she whispered.

He smiled and sat up a little, tightening his arms around her, "it's natural, babe. I'm feeling the same thing," he replied, pressing a kiss to her lips.

Sinking against his chest, she relaxed, a smile on her face, "what does it mean?"

He smirked, "that we're a couple of good lookin' Jews, and our bodies are finally catching up to our brains."

"Noah!" She swatted his chest playfully, "I'm trying to be serious here."

"I am being serious. Our bodies are finally catching up to the fact that we like each other more than just friends," he looked down at her and pressed another kiss to her lips before leaning back again, "at least I feel that way," he added, the silent question lingering.

She shifted her head to look at him, "I do feel the same way, I like you more than a friend."

"Good." He rubbed her back gently, but the reason for him being there quickly flooded his mind as his eyes landed on their bags sitting on the coffee table.

Rachel followed his gaze, "we should do our homework, Noah," she whispered.

"I know, but I was hoping we could stay like this a little longer," he admitted.

"We can," she glanced across at the clock and saw it was just after four in the late afternoon, "but my dads will be home in about an hour and I should really find something to make for dinner."

"Well, tomorrow is Saturday, so we technically don't have to get up early, so we can stay up later doing homework... or other things," he grinned.

Rachel groaned, "Noah, is it your goal to get me worked up?"

He looked at her honestly, "not really, but you're cute when you blush," he replied.

...

Rachel really liked to have a plan for everything, and once dinner was over, she and Noah got to work on their math and science homework. She wanted them to get all their work for the classes they shared at school, math and science, done before he left that night, so he called his parents and told them he'd be home later than normal so they could finish some of their homework; he was game for it because he didn't want to take too much work with them to do on the trip.

As ten o'clock rolled around, their science was long since done and they were just finishing up their last lesson in math. Noah rubbed his eyes as he closed his book and looked to see Rachel sliding her book into her bag.

She turned to him, "do you have to leave right now?" She asked softly.

"Not really, but soon," he replied.

"I have been meaning to ask you some things about our trip," she said.

"Oh yeah?" He raised a curious eyebrow to her.

She nodded, "well, I've watched award shows red carpets before and I've seen pictures, but how does it all work?"

"There isn't much to it," he admitted, "a car will pick us up at the hotel and take us to the theater. It'll drop us of at the end of the red carpet, we walk down it. I'll sign some autographs and pose for pictures with the fans, then I'll pose for the press and there will be a spot where the entertainment news shows are set up and I'll probably be asked to talk to them for a few. Once I'm done, we'll go into the theater and it'll be press free," he smiled, "we'll probably have a chance to mingle around a little with those who are there and then an usher will take us to our seats and we'll watch the movie. I'm sure there will be an after party, but since we're gonna have to be up early Tuesday morning for a nine-thirty flight, we're probably not going to go, or if we do it won't be for long," he replied.

She nodded, "alright. I'm just, I'm trying to figure everything out. This is all new to me," she told him.

"I know it is, babe," he reached out and took her hand, "I've got your back."

She smiled, "thank you."

"Is that all you wanted to ask?" He questioned his free hand taking her other hand in his.

"Oh, um, how much time are we going to have to do stuff?" She looked at him.

"Not sure, our flight lands at three-thirty-pm LA time and we'll have the rest of Sunday and early Monday for whatever. I think dad said the car is going to pick us up at five to take us to the theater, so we won't have a whole lot of time for sight-seeing, but I'm sure we can get a few things in."

"I know this might sound odd, but I've never seen the ocean before," she admitted.

Noah blinked his eyes in shock as he looked at her, "are you serious?"

She nodded, "yes, to be honest, I have always been so focused on Broadway that dad, daddy and I always went to plays or musicals in New York, so simple things as seeing the ocean, I suppose, were over looked."

"Then I know what we'll do," he smiled, letting go of her hands so he could slip his arms around her body. "Santa Monica is only about fifteen minutes away from where we're staying, we can go to the beach, maybe check out the pier and soak up the beach and the salty air," he explained.

Rachel smiled, "really? Are you sure it'll be safe for you?"

"Yes, it will be," he told her, "it's an off season, and a weekday so it won't be as crowded and it's called a hoodie and a hat," he laughed, "we'll be fine. No one knows that Puck is in town and even if someone sees me get off the flight; they're not going to know what I'm there for," he added, "so it's all good."

"If you're sure. I don't want you to get in trouble or have something happen just because you wanted to take me-"

Noah loved cutting off her concerned rants with a kiss and this time was no different; he pressed warm kiss against her lips, letting it linger a few moments before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers, "we'll be fine," he promised.

...

A/N5: *hides* don't kill me for picking 'New Moon'. I'm a huge fanpire and live only 3 hours from Forks/La Push, so I've been there several times... I picked it for timing and also because I knew some of the Glee cast had gone, so Mark and Lea were there. While Noah will dress like Mark, Rachel won't be dressing like Lea had... And in the fic, they're teens so it makes sense that Rachel and Noah would have read them...

A/N6: I really hope you guys liked the progression. I was a little nervous about how I dealt with the news and everything. I wanted to get the story going, so I mentioned it, but didn't want to go into too much detail and I also really just want to focus on Noah and Rachel's relationship. Let me know what you think!

A/N7: A lot longer than Starlight's chapters have been, but not sure if they'll all continue to be this way; we'll see...

A/N8: LOL I couldn't help Puck's line from Mash-up slipping in there ;)

A/N9: Again, I'm on Twitter, so feel free to follow me... Just let me know who you are if your names are different than on FF or LJ. ( twitter . com / ej8302 )

...


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

"Noah! I just remembered what else I wanted to talk to you about," Rachel exclaimed into her phone as she paced in her room on Saturday afternoon.

"What's that?" He asked from his bed, kicked back, half asleep from reading his book for English class.

"What are the chances that someone is going to want to interview me? And if they want to, what do I say?" She questioned tossing another shirt onto her bed.

"Well, there's interviews and then there are the paparazzi that you've already gotten a taste of," he said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "The paparazzi will take pictures and do their best to ask questions, this much you already know; I suggest you just ignore them. When we're on the red carpet, if someone wants to talk to you, it's your choice. I'll be talking to them, and dad and I will make sure you don't get uncomfortable. If they do wanna talk, just be yourself. I think the biggest thing, is you have to be very careful about what you say," he admitted, "what we say can be taken out of context, so just remember that. And obviously we both have to be careful about, you know, that whole story of how we got together and being friends before. If they ask how long we've been together keep to two and a half months, if they ask how long we've been friends just say we lost track or something," he added.

"I don't like lying," she said softly sitting on her bed.

"You don't have to lie, you'd be honest by saying we lost track of how long we've known each other, but officially been dating for two and a half months," he replied, "and I know... I don't like lying too much either. In the business it's kind of a necessity to keep private lives private, so some lying or avoidance is needed. I'm sure someday this will blow up in our faces, but for now, we can run with it," he added.

"I suppose you're correct," she nodded getting up from her bed to pad around her room again, "um, have you packed yet?" She asked.

"No, I'll do that later," he shrugged.

"What?" She exclaimed.

He laughed into the phone and glanced over at his empty suitcase, "we're only going to be gone for two nights. Oh, just bring a pair of shoes you don't care if you get sand in. I'm still kicking sand out of a pair of my skate shoes 'cause I went out on the beach in them," he added.

"Alright," Rachel looked at her suitcase on her bed, "but I don't know what else to bring," she sighed, "I know what I'm wearing to the premiere so that is packed, but everything else... No clue."

"Whatever you wear during our flight will probably be what you're in the rest of the day, so you'll need something to sleep in, wear to the beach and to wear home, and maybe an extra outfit just in case you need it," he explained with a shrug, "throw the bathroom stuff in and you're good to go. You know about all the airline rules, right?" He asked.

"Yes I do," she assured him. "I'm just taking my messenger bag as my carry-on," she explained, "it's larger than a backpack, but not huge," she said.

"Mine's the same size as yours," he said getting up.

"Are you taking your laptop?" She asked.

"No. Anything I need to do, I can do on my iPhone," he replied, "we're not going to have that much free time," he added, "well, free time for computer stuff," he grinned.

"Oh, that is true," she admitted and then blushed, "I'm looking forward to this, Noah."

"Me too," he agreed, glancing at the clock to see what time it was. "How late are you staying up?" He asked.

"Not too late. You said you guys will be over here by six-fifteen, right?" She asked glancing at her note on her desk.

"Yeah, we will be. I didn't realize how late in the afternoon it was, so I should go pack, but I can call you later tonight. I don't want to wake you up, though."

Rachel smiled, "it's okay. Just call. If it's before nine I should still be awake."

"Okay, cool, so I'll talk to you in a few hours, then," he smiled grabbing his suitcase and setting it on his bed.

"You will, Noah, have fun," she smirked.

"Thanks. See ya babe," he replied.

...

Noah packed his suitcase with ease; having traveled all over the country and through parts of the world, he had quickly learned how to pack light and simple. Even though it didn't take too long, he still had to think of where he was going; it was LA; it was warm, so even in November, jackets were not required like they were in Ohio, but he threw in a sweatshirt and ball cap in just in case. After zipping it up, he threw a red Ohio State University hoodie on the top of it, knowing he didn't want to be recognized, so he'd wear it at the airport and the hood would cover his head if necessary.

Once he was packed, he stuffed his iPhone charger, Spanish book and a few things he'd want for the flight into his carry-on and figured he'd be adding to both of them later, so he set them by his door and went back to finishing up his English homework.

The house was quiet; his parents and sister had gone out for the afternoon to run some errands and his dad wanted to spend some time with his sister, so Noah stayed home to finish up his homework, pack and truly enjoy the silence.

Kicking back on his bed, he opened up his book again and began reading. As his eyes read the words, he silently felt himself drifting of into the world of the book, so when he heard a wolf howling he jumped, dropping the book and looking around as he continued, until he realized it was his cell phone. Grabbing for it, he saw who was calling, "hey, what's up, dude?" He answered.

"Not a whole lot. I heard you'll be at the premiere," the guy on the other end said.

"Yep, I will be. My girlfriend and my dad, too," Noah responded.

"So I get to meet this girl of yours?" The guy laughed.

"Yes, you do. You've seen pictures, dude," Noah added, "so it's not like you don't know what she looks like."

"I know, but it's not the same as meeting them face-to-face. She's pretty hot from what I've seen," he teased.

"Dude, paws off," Noah snapped.

The other guy laughed harder, "relax, Puck. She's your girlfriend; I'm not trying to take her away, I'm just stating a fact."

"Good," Noah smiled, "then thanks," he replied kicking back on his bed.

"When are you guys getting in?" He asked.

"Uh, three-thirty Cali time. We have to leave Tuesday morning to get back; we'll already be missing two days of school," Noah explained.

"Yeah, I hear you. I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again; what you're doing is awesome. I hope the record label sticks to their promise to let you finish school."

"Me too," he agreed, "I don't wanna leave again unless I've got a diploma in my hands."

"We should meet up tomorrow night; I'll grab my dad and my girl and the six of us should go to dinner when you guys get in."

Noah smiled, "Rachel may have a heart attack, but I'd be down for dinner. Sushi?"

"Of course. Where else do we 'celebuddies' eat when you're in town?" The guy laughed. "I can make reservations for six for what? Five, six?"

Noah laughed at the term they used to call themselves friends, "make it six. That will give us a chance to check in at the hotel and change if we want," Noah responded.

"Alright, sounds like a plan. I'll text you to let you know that I got the reservations. See you tomorrow."

"Yep, later man."

...

Rachel spent the afternoon bouncing between packing and working on her English and history homework. Her Spanish book was tucked away in her carry-on along with a book she thought she could start reading if she needed something to do.

As evening fell, she and her dads sat down to dinner and she could tell they were nervous. Going on family vacations with her fathers were one thing, but for them to let her go with her boyfriend and his father for the weekend to Los Angeles was another.

"Dad, daddy, I can see you guys are nervous," Rachel said leaning back in her seat.

"Sweetheart, you have to see this from our point-of-view," Alan explained.

"I do! This is the first time I've been this far away from home without you guys and I'm sixteen, but you've got to remember that it's not like we're going alone. Noah and I will hardly be alone at all. We'll have his dad and I'm sure he'll have at least another bodyguard with us most of the time, so we'll be protected."

The two men exchanged glances and David sighed with a nod, "I take it you have thought about this," he admitted.

"Yes, I have. I do admit I'm nervous to be going without you, but I'm going to be taken care of. I trust Noah and his dad. They're not going to let anything happen to me," she assured them.

"We are not doubting Ethan or Noah," David clarified, "this is a big step and we're just worried about you, you're our little girl."

Rachel smiled, "I'll always be your little girl, dad, daddy, but I'm growing up, too," she added. "It's time for me to start doing things on my own, or in this case, with someone else who I care about, that could possibly be who I'll spend the rest of my life with," she paused with her words when she saw her dads' eyes widen in shock.

"Rachel, you're sixteen, you can't possibly know who you'll spend the rest of your life with," Alan told her, "Noah is a wonderful young man and he has a great life and a good family. Yes, he is Jewish, but there are lots of others out there, too. Don't blind yourself to Noah just because of some rumor you guys started or because he's a celebrity and you want to be in his shoes."

Rachel gasped, "dad! How could you even suggest that I'm only with him for that? I'm not!"

"He's not meaning you are, Rachel, he's just saying that given what you'd like to do with your life, and what he is doing in his, you have a dream similar to what he's living right now. We like Noah, we really do, but we just don't want to see you get tunnel vision about a boy from high school that you did just meet less than three months ago. A lot can happen in the next few years while he's at school, and IF you guys are still together when he graduates, what will happen then? You won't be finished with school for another year," David explained.

Ducking her head, Rachel bit her lip, "I might be," she murmured.

"What was that?" Alan said.

"I said I might be," Rachel said taking a deep breath and waited for their questions.

"What are you thinking, Rachel?" "What are you talking about?"

"Dad, daddy, please," Rachel held up her hands, "I'm not dropping out, so don't think that. There is a program between OSU and state high schools called 'Running Start'. It means that if I can get in through their placement tests, I can take college classes during my high school years and the classes will count for high school and college credits. I have thought of this before, and now that Noah will graduate a year before me, it's made me wonder if I should try it out. If I take one class at OSU it's five credits; that's equivalent to five years of the same class in high school. As it stands right now, at the end of my Junior year of high school, the only classes I will _have_ to take my Senior year is English, History, and some electives. I could be a part-time student at OSU my Junior year, take English, History and some electives there and take Spanish, math and science at McKinley and by the end of that year I'll have enough credits to graduate," she explained.

The two men exchanged looks, "when were you planning to discuss this with us?" David asked.

"I only spoke to Ms. Pillsbury about it recently. The program is for high school Juniors and Seniors, so I wouldn't be able to start until next September, anyway," she replied.

"What about your friends? What about the Glee club?" Alan questioned.

"As long as I'm a part-time student at McKinley, I'd still qualify to be in the Glee Club," she said, "and my friends would understand. They all know I'm an 'overachiever' and now with my relationship with Noah, I think they're expecting something big to happen," she admitted nervously, "look, I'm not saying I'm going to do this, but it's something to think about and I know I would have no problem placing high enough on the tests to get in. If I do, the school district pays for everything, so you wouldn't have to," she added.

The two men exchanged nervous glances before looking at her, "this is something we're going to have to talk about," David said.

"I know," Rachel nodded, "and I truly wasn't going to say anything until the new year. Ms. Pillsbury says the placement tests are only given in March for the following school year, so we have time," she assured them.

Alan looked at her, realizing something, "what happens after that? If you graduate a year early?" He asked.

"I continue with the plan I've always had; I apply to schools in New York City and hope I'm accepted to one of them," she said, "and I'd only be doing this a year earlier than originally thought," she added.

"Given that we know that Noah's celebrity life pretty much brings him to living in New York City, it's obvious you'd like to be there near him, but what happens if you two break up?" David wondered, "I'm not saying you are."

"His life is not deciding mine. I have had this dream since way before him and he just happens to live in New York, but not always there; well he's there the most, but he travels to LA and tours around the states and the world, so it's not like he'd always be there, but yes, both of us living in the same city would be a benefit. If we break-up, I'd still move there and do what I always wanted to do," she explained. "But I do not see that happening in the near future," Rachel tapped her knuckles on the wooden table several times, "knock on wood."

...

As dinner was cleaned up, Rachel was nervous; the last thing she wanted to do the night before she was leaving for a few days was to drop the idea of her graduating a year early so she could move to New York. "_Of course moving to New York at the same time as Noah will be a benefit and as far as I know I'll have to live in the dorms, but I'm sure Noah could pull some strings... Stop! You can't depend on him being able to pull strings for you. You have to do this on your own... But he's... He wouldn't want me living someplace with limited security and that would be the dorms, but where would I live then? With him? Would that be alright?_" Rachel groaned as she sat at her computer desk, working on her English paper, but her mind was obviously elsewhere.

Her thoughts were broken by a familiar song playing from her phone and she reached for it, "hello Noah," she greeted him.

"Hey babe, how has your day been?" He asked.

"It's alright. I finished packing, am almost done with my homework, and had a very, um, nervous conversation with my dads," she admitted, "how about you?"

"Packed, finished my homework, talked to a friend in LA and had dinner with the family. What conversation with your dads?" He asked.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow?" She asked softly, "it's nothing wrong, I just... I suggested an idea for school and they kind of flipped," she explained.

"Oh, uh, yeah, we can talk about it tomorrow," he replied, "you okay?"

"Yeah I am. So you spoke with a friend in LA? Who?" She asked.

"My celebuddy," he laughed.

"You're what?" Rachel asked confused.

"You know how they always smash together couples names? Well when he and I were hanging out a few years ago I said we're celebrity buddies, celebuddies, and it stuck," he laughed, "so now that's what we call ourselves. Finn thinks it's funny. He hung out with us over the summer when we were all in New York," Noah said.

"Oh, I see. Who is it? Someone I know?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Yep and I'm not telling you until tomorrow and no fair looking it up online or asking Finn," Noah retorted with a laugh.

Rachel giggled, "alright, I'll wait until tomorrow. How am I going to meet him?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, we're going to dinner. He's bringing his dad and girlfriend, too. He's also making reservations. I hope you like sushi, well that's where we usually eat, but if you don't want to I can have him change it," he said, now realizing he didn't know if she'd be up for it.

"Well, I haven't tried sushi, but I do like seafood," she said, "and I'm always willing to try new foods," she added.

"Great," Noah smiled.

Rachel looked at her clock and saw that it was just after eight, "can you believe that in less than twenty-four hours we'll be in LA?"

He was silent for a moment, "kind of. I can believe I'd be in LA, but what I can't believe is that I'm gonna have my girlfriend with me. That's the awesome part," he admitted.

She blushed, "really?"

"Really," he agreed.

...

Their conversation continued and the spoke of the plans for the morning and then realized that with such an early wake up, they should get to bed, so they said goodnight and she set her phone aside. She saved her report on her computer; she had several days after she got back to finish it, so getting up, she padded downstairs and into the den where her dads were, "dad, daddy," she said.

"Hello sweetheart, are you alright?" David asked noticing the nervous look on her face.

"Um, yes," she nodded stepping further into the den, "I just got off the phone with Noah. He says they will be over about six so we can be on the road by six-thirty to get to the airport in time," Rachel explained.

"Oh, alright. We'll make sure we get you up," Alan said.

"Um, I wanted to apologize for our conversation at dinner. It was not the right time to bring it up," she said softly.

"Oh sweetheart, don't worry about it. We were just shocked," Alan said getting up and moving to wrap his arms around her.

She hugged and looked at him and then David, "I just know that I probably should have told you before I talked to Ms. Pillsbury, but it was a split second decision and I knew I'd tell you, I just hadn't planned to tell you until I knew more," she said softly.

David joined their hug and kissed her forehead, "we're not mad at you, so don't think that," he told her, "you were right about one thing. You are growing up and need to do things on your own. We know your planning on going to school in New York and we've prepared for that, but suggesting a year early, just kind of worried us, but we also understand that you are thinking of your future and if this what you want to do, then we'll support you," he told her.

Rachel felt tears well up in her eyes, "really?" She asked.

"Yes," Alan nodded, "we'll still need to talk more about it, but if this is what you feel is best for you and your future education and being on Broadway, then we'll support you."

...

When Noah heard his alarm going off at three thirty in the morning, he reached for it, hitting it hard to get the noise to stop. "It's too early," he muttered, a groan escaping his lips as he rolled onto his back; hoping to get a few more minutes in the warmth of his blankets.

As his alarm went off a second time, he hit the button, but this time turned his light on by his bed, hoping the light would keep him falling back to sleep. Hearing his door open he lifted his head and saw his mom coming towards him, "morning Noah," she said.

"Morning, mom," he murmured, sitting up and rubbing his face with his hands.

"Are you awake or you want me to come back in to double check in a bit?" She asked with a smile.

"I'm awake," he replied, "thanks."

"No problem," she smiled and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his forehead before turning and heading towards his door.

Noah smiled, "mom," he pushed himself out of bed and moved over to her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug, "I love you," he whispered.

Deborah was shocked at his early morning words, but she returned his hug, "I love you, too, Noah," she smiled.

He pulled back to look at her, "these last few years have sucked. Dad and I miss you and Arin. It's not right that we're all split up," he murmured.

She rested a hand against his cheek and nodded, "I know, sweetheart, I hate that you and your dad are hardly here, but you are now, that's what's important," she replied. "We'll always be a family no matter what," she added.

He nodded and hugged her again before letting go completely, "we will be," he agreed pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She smiled at him and nodded, "now get ready to go; I don't want to be late picking up Rachel."

"Okay, mom," he laughed a little and watched her walk from his room.

...

Rachel had checked her luggage and carry-on to make sure she had everything and set her bags by the door, seeing it was just after six in the morning. She didn't expect them to be there right on time, but was unsure just when they would arrive. She headed for the kitchen and just as she was about to sit down she heard a light knock on the door. Sure of who it was, she returned to the door, unlocked it and pulled it open to see her boyfriend and his family, "good morning," she greeted with a smile.

"Morning, babe," Noah replied stepping inside and hugging her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, closing her eyes at the warmth she felt when they touched.

His family slipped in behind them and his dad shut the door.

"Noah Aaron, have some manners!" Deborah snapped, trying to hold back a laugh.

Noah pulled away from his girlfriend with a blush, "sorry mom," he muttered.

Rachel ducked her head, her cheeks turning a shade of red to match the hoodie he had on.

David and Alan had heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen, "oh, good morning," David said.

"Morning guys," Ethan said nodding at the two men.

Arin waved at them and Deborah looked at them, "morning guys, sorry this is so early."

"It's alright. It is one drawback to living this far from the airport," Alan replied.

While they didn't have to leave right away, they had only a few minutes to stay there, so after Ethan went through a checklist with Rachel of some things she needed to have, which she had, she and Noah took her bags out to the car while the rest stayed inside. "We're taking yours?" Rachel asked curiously, noticing his SUV.

"Yes; it's more comfortable for the five of us," he replied opening the back end and laying her suitcase with their bags, "I'll sit in the middle, so you can put your bag in the back if you want," he explained closing the back.

Rachel opened up the side door and laid her carry-on on the seat and closed it, shivering lightly, "I should have put my jacket on," she muttered.

Noah walked over to her and slipped his arms around her waist from behind, guiding them towards the house, "I'll keep you warm," he murmured kissing her neck gently.

She smiled, "feels good," she admitted turning lightly to lean up and press a kiss to his lips.

"Glad to help," he smiled at her.

When they reached the front door, his family and her dads were standing in the foyer, David holding Rachel's jacket. Rachel blushed lightly as she took it from him, her boyfriend's arms still around her, "thanks, daddy."

He nodded at her, a smile on his face, "no problem, sweetheart."

Ethan patted his son on the shoulder, "time to go, so we'll meet you in the car," he said.

Noah nodded and his parents and sister waved at her dads before leaving the house and he removed his arms from his girlfriend.

"We already told your dad this and he assured me she'll be taken care of, but we're trusting that you'll take care of our little girl," David said looking at Noah.

"I won't let anything happen to her," Noah promised shaking David's hand and then Alan's, "you have my word she'll be home safe and sound Tuesday night."

The two men nodded at him and Noah stepped back giving Rachel a chance to say goodbye.

Begging herself to not start crying, she hugged David tightly and then did the same with Alan, "I love you both, so much. I promise to call as much as I can and will take lots of pictures," she assured them.

Both dads laughed a little, but nodded, "have fun. We'll see you Tuesday night."

Noah stepped out on the porch and the three followed him and she hugged her dads once more before the young couple headed down the stairs and out to his waiting family in his SUV.

...

It didn't take long for Arin to fall asleep against her brother and he just slipped his arm around her shoulders and soaked in the sibling time they had. Noah soon got comfortable, leaned his head towards his sister and fell asleep, too, giving Ethan a rare opportunity to get a picture of his kids together without them knowing about it. Deborah and Rachel both handed over their phones and he did the same thing, and then Rachel had him get one with her camera.

As the drive continued, Deborah glanced at Rachel, "we'll be at the airport in a few minutes, why don't you wake Noah up," she said softly.

Rachel nodded and picked up her boyfriend's hand and squeezed it, "Noah, wake up."

"Huh?" He shifted, squeezing her hand, and then he realized where he was, "whoa, did I fall asleep?" He asked looking around.

"Yes, you did," Rachel replied.

He nodded and shifted a little, removing his arm from around Arin, which caused her to stir, "are we there yet?" She asked.

"Almost," he replied, recognizing the familiar street near the airport.

Their two hour drive ended moments later as Deborah pulled up to the drop-off zone, thankful it wasn't super busy. There were still some taxis and shuttle buses around, but nothing like a major rush of travelers. As soon as she stopped and turned the engine off they all slid out. Noah tugged his hood over his head and hoped they could get through without him being noticed.

Getting their luggage out of the back end and setting the suitcases on the curb, Noah threw his carry-on over his shoulder and then hugged his sister, "see you in a few days, sis," he murmured kissing her forehead. "Love you."

"Love you, too, Noah," she hugged him tightly before pulling away and moving to Rachel for a quick hug.

Rachel returned her hug and then watched the ten year old walk over to her parents who were embracing. Noah slipped his arm around his girlfriend while they waited and soon Deborah stepped over to them and hugged Rachel first before wrapping her arms around her son.

"It's just a couple days," he promised, "we'll be home in less than seventy-two hours."

"I know, but I still will miss you guys," she said pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Have fun, but don't go bringing home any vampires or werewolves," she said.

"Mom, they're shape-shifters that take the form of wolves, not werewolves," Noah replied with a grin.

"I know, but werewolves is easier to say," she smirked, "and anyway, no bringing them home because I can't feed the werewolves, too; you and your dad eat a whole lot more than I thought," she laughed.

Noah and Rachel laughed at her comment and Ethan and Arin joined them, Ethan's arm wrapped around Arin's shoulders and Arin with tears in her eyes. Noah hated seeing his sister upset when they left, so he knelt down and motioned for her to come over to him. He pushed his hood off his head and hugged her tightly, "I'm sorry I keep taking dad from you, but I promise we'll be home soon," he whispered to her.

"I know, but I'm still sad you're leaving," she replied back so only he could hear her.

He pulled back and looked at her, "yeah, but now you can watch all those Disney musicals without me complaining about them."

She giggled and wiped her eyes, "on your TV?"

"If you want. Just stay away from my XBox," he replied.

"Yes!" She grinned and stepped over to Deborah.

With a final round of hugs, the group parted into two. Deborah and Arin got into Noah's SUV and waved at them as they pulled away from the curb. Noah tugged his hood back over his head and he, Rachel and his dad moved into the airport and over to their airlines check-in desk. Getting their boarding passes and their luggage checked, the moved over to the security line which was pretty busy for the time of morning, so they had some extra time to stand. Noah busied himself with his cell phone so he could look down; texting Finn and his friend in LA that they were at the airport.

The line moved pretty quickly and they got through security without any issues, so it was only nine-thirty and their flight didn't leave for another hour.

Finding out they had time to spare, Noah moved away from his dad and girlfriend. "Where is he going?" Rachel asked looking at him.

Ethan smirked, "coffee," he replied pointing to where he was standing; in line at Starbucks.

"I can't believe he doesn't need security," she whispered, as the two headed towards him and stood in line with him.

"He will when we get to LA," Ethan replied back softly.

Noah turned to them, "no one knows I'm here."

As they got closer to the front of the line, he glanced at his dad, "your usual?"

"Sure," Ethan shrugged.

"Babe, anything?" Noah asked.

"Um, raspberry white chocolate mocha," Rachel replied.

Noah nodded and stepped up to the counter, giving the girl their orders. Her eyes widened and he realized she recognized him, "can you hand me an empty cup?" He asked as he handed her the money.

She raised a curious eyebrow at him, but did as he requested and he took that and picked up the permanent marker that was on the counter and scrawled his autograph on the side before setting the marker and the cup back on the counter and sliding them to her. She gave him back his change, but he dropped it in the 'tips' container on the side of the counter and he held a finger to his lips in the 'shh' motion and she nodded, taking the white cup and setting it aside, a bright smile on her face.

Noah nodded at her and he, Rachel and his dad moved down to the other side to pick-up their drinks and once they had them, they moved to an empty table in the food court area, finding one in the back.

"That was very nice of you, Noah," Rachel said softly as she sat down next to him.

"Thanks. I try to be," he admitted with a smile, slipping his free arm around her shoulders.

They only sat for a short time; Ethan suggested they make their way over to their gate, so they did with coffees in hand. "Great, now that I drank all this coffee, now I'm not gonna sleep on the plane," Noah sighed.

"Hasn't stopped you before," Ethan replied tossing his empty coffee cup in a garbage can as they passed it.

"True," Noah shrugged, "but it'll be harder to stay asleep."

The young couple held hands as they walked through the airport and soon they were stepping up to their gate to wait. "How are you doing?" Noah asked Rachel as he tossed his empty coffee cup in the trash.

"I'm fine," she replied taking a sip of her coffee.

He raised a curious eyebrow, "you're a lot quieter than normal, what's wrong?"

She blushed and took a long sip of her coffee, "I'm just nervous for a lot of reasons," she admitted.

"Like?"

"This is the first trip without my dads, I'm going to be entering into a world I've never been in before, I've never been to LA before and I'm going to be seeing a movie before any of my other friends do," she admitted stepping away to toss her empty cup and then returned to him.

"We're gonna have fun," Noah replied wrapping his arms around her as they waited.

"I'm sure we will, but I can't help the nerves," she whispered.

He kissed her forehead, "I know. I was nervous the first few times I dealt with all of the celebrity stuff, too, but now I'm used to it. Soon you will be too," he explained.

The meaning of his words sunk in and she smiled, "are you implying that this won't be the first trip I'll be taking with you?" She asked.

He looked down at her and smiled, "yes I am."

"I'd like that," she admitted.

First-class was called to board first moments later, so the three moved up and after passing off their boarding passes, they moved onto the plane and found their seats. "Rachel, why don't you take the window seat," Ethan suggested.

Taking his suggestion, Rachel slid into their row first and then Noah sat down next to her. Ethan stored their bags above their head and then sat down next to Noah on the aisle seat and handed his son a pack of gum.

Noah took a piece out of the package and popped it in and then handed it to Rachel, "gum?" he asked.

She eyed him, "no thank you. I don't think it would taste good with coffee," she admitted.

"Right," he laughed, "but it helps keep your ears from popping on take off."

"Oh, um, sure then," she reached out and took a piece before Noah handed it back to his dad.

The plane began to fill up with passengers and soon the flight attendants were going through the safety procedures as their plane taxied out onto the runway. Glancing at Rachel, he saw her staring out the window and he took her hand in his just as he felt the plane began to pick up speed, "let our adventure begin," he said squeezing her hand as the plane gracefully lifted off into the western sky.

...

A/N4: 'celebuddy' ... what do you think? I came up with it? Hehehe, while I'm not sure if you'll totally pick up on it yet, you'll find out next chapter who it is. Hope you like this; next up is her meeting her 'celebuddy' and their few short days in LA.

A/N5: The 'Running Start' program is something my high school had with our local college that I wish I had known about before my Senior year.

A/N6: I'm gonna be honest; I didn't really like 'Hell-o' or 'The Power of Madonna'. I have never been a fan of Madonna, so just the thought that all the songs were hers; yuck! I don't like the Jesse St. James character; Puck/Quinn and Finn/Rachel - just the thought turns my stomach; Puck hardly had any lines the last two episodes... I liked a few of the songs from 'Hell-o' and 'Like A Prayer' was pretty cool in 'The Power of Madonna', but not really feelin' Glee's new episodes. There are a few good story lines so far that I might discuss, so that's why my 'spoiler' section will be changing every week for the new episodes, just in case a song or story line slips in; but of course I'll put my own spin on things. Don't worry, I'm not leaving the fandom, I'm just letting you know that future stories might be limited to 'spoilers' up to 'Sectionals'.

A/N7: I'm EJ8302 on Twitter if you'd like to follow me. :)

A/N8: Do you like 'Out of the Blue' or 'Starlight' enough to nominate them for an award? If you do, head on over to: ( community . livejournal . com/ gleeawards/ ) and find out how you can nominate them. You have until May 15th to submit your nominations.

A/N9: Look for a new fic from me in about a week; it's the fic I'm writing for my winning bidder at the Support Stacie Author Auction. I'm having a blast writing it!

...


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

As their plane leveled out and Noah glanced at his girlfriend, "so what did you talk to your dads about last night?" He asked.

She bit her lip and glanced at him, giving him the quick summary of their discussion about her possibly trying to graduate a year earlier.

"So you want to graduate a year early?" He asked, making sure he understood what she was telling him.

"Yes," she nodded, "if I can, I don't see a reason for me to take two required classes my Senior year and a bunch of ones I don't need, just to be there all day."

He thought for a moment and took her hand, "it's a good idea, I mean, if it's what _you_ want to do. You're right; kind of pointless to take two real classes and a bunch of random ones just to make a full day, but I think your dads might be a little shocked, given that we're dating now and it could be seen as you doing it for us."

"I didn't know of the program before, but I always wished there was a way I could graduate early, so this is an option. I want to try it; I'm pretty sure I'll get in and it would benefit our relationship because I'd be moving to New York at the same time you would be going back," she explained.

He nodded, "yes, but babe, I just want to make sure you're not doing it just for us, because we could make it work for a year, but if it's what you want to do," he squeezed her hand, "I won't try to talk you in or out of it, I'll support whatever decision you make," he promised kissing the top of her hand as they settled into their seats.

Rachel smiled and leaned over pressing a kiss to his lips, "thank you, Noah."

"You're welcome," he replied.

Sitting next to his son, there was no way Ethan could not hear their conversation, but he kept quiet; that was something the young couple needed to discuss, and as a father, Ethan understood David and Alan's concerns for her trying to finish school early, but it wasn't his place to jump in, so he pulled out his iPhone and started listening to it, giving them a little privacy.

Noah looked to see his dad listening to music, so he turned back to his girlfriend. Shifting in his seat, they chatted for the first leg of their flight; a little over an hour after takeoff, they landed in Chicago to refuel and once they were back in the air, the couple, along with his dad, settled into their personal music for a nap on the way to Los Angeles.

...

About an hour before landing, Rachel woke up from her nap and looked out the window, seeing the sun shining and blue clear skies. Noah and Ethan were asleep, but she wanted to be closer to her boyfriend, so she shifted in her seat and leaned her head on his shoulder, hoping she didn't wake him up.

Feeling someone touching him, Noah stirred and opened his eyes, looking to his right to see his girlfriend leaning against him. "Hey, have a good nap? He asked pulling his ear buds from his ears and slipping them and his phone into the pocket on his hoodie.

"Yes," she nodded lifting her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," she replied, "I just wanted to..." she blushed.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, "it's okay. I don't mind," he assured her, shifting his arm so he could take her hand in his as he pulled his phone back out to look at the time.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"About five-thirty at home. About two-thirty LA time," he answered, "we should be landing in an hour, you might wanna get your camera out," he admitted.

Rachel reached for her bag and dug through it, "I can't believe we're going to be in Los Angeles soon," she commented, "I have never been to the west coast before."

A grin tugged at his lips, "even though we are only going to be there for less than forty-eight hours, I hope I can give you a memorable time; in a good way," he replied slipping his arm around her shoulders.

"It already is; just going to the premiere is going to be memorable, in a good way; going anywhere else will just be an added bonus," she explained.

...

As Los Angeles got closer, Rachel was glued to the window, trying to take a few pictures of the city, with a pretty clear view of the metropolis and ocean, since the sun hadn't set yet.

"Rachel," Ethan leaned around his son to look at her, "when we get off the plane stay with Noah. I'm sure you will, but just don't stray. The guards are meeting us at baggage claim, so we still have to get through to there."

Rachel nodded, "okay, I can do that," she told him.

Landing with ease the plane reached it's gate and soon they were filing off with the first-class passengers. Noah pulled his hood back up a little and slipped his arm around Rachel to keep her close as they walked, "welcome to Los Angeles," he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She smiled, "thanks," she grinned and settled against him, used to walking with his arm around her and she didn't mind at all.

It wasn't super busy and thankfully no one was really 'expecting' Puck that night, so they made it to the baggage claim without any issues. The three moved right over to their claim area as luggage began to spit out.

"Where are your guards?" Rachel asked softly.

"Over there," he nodded towards two guys standing near the exits, "the two guys in jeans and t-shirts. The taller one is Tim, who is a former Marine and Alex is a former cop," he explained, noticing his bag so he reached for it, his eyes catching a glimpse of a few guys with large cameras down at the next carousel, so he tugged his hood up further and kept his head down while his dad and Rachel grabbed their bags. "Dad, next carousel," he muttered.

"Just head to the exit, Tim and Alex will follow," he replied calmly.

Noah nodded and glanced at Rachel, taking her hand in his and as Ethan suggested, they headed for the exit, with Ethan right behind them.

"I don't get it," Rachel whispered keeping close to Noah.

"There's some paparazzi down the way and if they catch on I'm hiding from them, they'll rush over," he replied softly.

The two bodyguards noticed the paparazzi, too, and just before Noah and Rachel reached the exit, Alex headed out the doors and the young couple followed him, walking towards a waiting SUV. Alex held the door open, so Noah nodded at him. "Hey, we'll get your suitcases," he said nodding at them.

Rachel and Noah let go of their luggage and Noah slid in first to get out of sight and Rachel followed him into the SUV. Alex closed the door behind her and picked up their suitcases and he, Tim and Ethan met in the back and set the suitcases in the back end, just as two camera guys came out of the exit doors, snapping pictures.

Noah avoided glancing out the back of the SUV and kept his hook up over his head, which caused Rachel's stomach to flip-flop with nerves. "Welcome to LA," he murmured, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her lips.

Rachel blushed, "I see what you mean, but how did they know?" She asked softly.

"Usually there are some paparazzi here; just waiting for a shot of a famous person arriving in LA, but they wouldn't expect someone to be coming in from Ohio, but I'm sure they saw me with my hood up and then saw the guys, so they figured one of us was someone worth trying to get a picture of," he explained.

The side door opened and Ethan slid into the backseat next to Noah and Tim and Alex climbed into the front seats. Tim started the engine and pulled away from the sidewalk.

Once on their way, Alex turned around and smiled at them, "welcome to LA. Have a good flight?" He asked.

"Yeah, quiet," Noah responded, "long time no see, guys."

"Well, you know, you taking a sabbatical can do that," Tim laughed from the driver's seat.

"My wife kind of likes that I'm actually home more, now," Alex smirked, and then turned a little more to see Rachel, who was sitting behind his seat, "and you must be Rachel," he smiled at her.

She nodded, "yes, it's a pleasure to meet both of you," she replied with a nod to both of them.

Alex nodded in response, but Tim spoke up, "we've heard a lot about you, nice to finally meet you," Tim commented glancing back at her for a second.

"Oh yeah," Alex grabbed something, "we got you checked in before we came to pick you guys up," he handed Ethan three key cards.

"Thanks guys," Ethan took them and handed one to Rachel and Noah.

Noah slid his into his pocket and pulled his cell phone out, "you guys up for sushi tonight?" Noah asked.

Tim laughed, "isn't that like the only place you eat while here?"

"What? It's the best sushi I've found so far, so why not?" Noah laughed flipping through his contacts. "We're meeting some friends for dinner. Oh and can you possibly take the long way to the hotel so we can pass by the Hollywood sign?" Noah requested.

"Sure," Tim shrugged, "what time are we meeting them?"

"That's what I'm about to find out," he admitted hitting the send button and put the phone to his ear, hoping his friend would answer.

After three rings, he did, "hello?"

"Hey man, we just got to LA," Noah said.

"Great! Welcome back to the left coast," he responded with a laugh.

Noah laughed, "thanks. We still on for six at Tengu?" Noah asked.

"Yep; you bringing your guards?"

"Yeah, the five of us will be there," Noah replied.

"Okay, cool. Mine will be there too. So does your girl know who I am yet?"

"Nope and I figure I'll let her freak out when we get to the restaurant," Noah grinned, glancing at Rachel.

The teen chuckled, "you're in the car with her, aren't you?"

"Yep; taking a mini-trip around the city so Rachel can see the Hollywood sign before we head to the hotel."

His friend laughed again, "dude, I'll see you in a few hours. Have fun!"

Noah hung up his phone, "six at Tengu," he said slipping his phone back into his pocket, then turned to his dad, "did you call mom yet?"

"No, I'm going to call her when we get to the hotel," he replied, "but I did text her to tell her we got to LAX," he admitted.

Tim, who was from LA, but now lived in New York, drove in the direction that Noah asked him to, all the while, everyone pointing things out to Rachel. While on their drive, Rachel took pictures of shops and street signs of places she recognized from TV shows or movies she'd watched with them in and as they neared the corner that was one of the better views of the Hollywood sign, without getting right near it, Rachel was just amazed at what she was seeing; it was nothing like New York and with the window open to take pictures she smelled a totally different air than she was used to in Lima, or even what she'd been around in NYC.

Just a little under an hour after their plane landed in LA, Tim was parking the SUV in the parking garage of the hotel. The five climbed out and went to the back, grabbing their bags. Making their way to the lobby entrance, they went inside, and over to the elevators, "got about an hour," Alex commented, "it's about ten minutes to the restaurant from here, right?"

Ethan nodded, "yeah it is."

Tim nodded, "we'll leave about five-thirty or so, it'll give us time to find parking," he admitted.

Noah slung his arm around Rachel's shoulders and guided them on the elevator when the doors opened, the three adult men getting on the elevator last, out of habit, so they could be the first ones off, "I don't know how long we're going to be there, I haven't seen T-, my friend since this summer," he admitted, almost slipping out his name.

Rachel turned to him, "I wish you would just tell me so I'm not finding out when we get there and take a chance on me embarrassing myself in public."

He glanced at the guys and smirked, "babe, you won't and I promise you it'll be worth the wait," he told her as the elevator stopped on their floor.

Giving in to knowing he wasn't going to budge on that, she let him guide her down the hallway and Ethan unlocked the room and they all moved inside.

"Rachel, you can have the master room with the bathroom, Noah and I will share the other room," Ethan told her.

Rachel's eyes widened, "really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "it'll give you a little more privacy and it has one bed, the other room has two and I don't know how well your dads would feel if you and Noah shared a room," he commented seriously.

"Oh, um, yes there is that," she blushed and nodded.

Having stayed in the hotel before, Noah was familiar with the layout, so he left his bags setting by the couch in the sitting area and guided Rachel into the master bedroom. The room was not huge, but was much larger than a typical hotel room; a king size bed sat in the middle of the room and off to one side was a small open closet and a door into the bathroom. "All yours, babe," he said pressing a kiss to her lips.

Rachel looked around, her eyes landing on the bed, "this is amazing, but I... I don't need this big of a bed."

He laughed, "no one does, but it's the hotel and welcome to the big leagues, babe," he motioned around the room and then to himself, "pop stars get treated very well," he added.

She bit her lip and slipped her arms around him, "I have a hard time seeing you as one, Noah," she murmured.

He hugged her tightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "and that makes me like you even more, Rach," he whispered holding her close.

Relaxing in his arms, she smiled, and leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips, "I like you, too, Noah," she replied.

He brushed a hand through her hair and kissed her again, deepening it as they held onto each other, and as their lips parted, he rested his forehead against hers, not wanting to let go, but he knew they wouldn't be alone for long. "I should probably go change out of this hoodie," he whispered.

She blinked her eyes and nodded, "I suppose I should change into something for warmer weather," she laughed a little, "it's still pretty warm here," she admitted.

"Yeah," he kissed her again, "you look great, you don't have to change if you don't want to, but it's up to you," he added.

"Thanks, Noah," she leaned up and pressed a kiss on his cheek before she stepped away, "but I am only going to change shirts," she admitted, "my skirt goes with anything," she admitted, motioning down to the black skirt she wore.

With a nod, he pressed a kiss to her cheek before walking out of the room, closing her door and moving into the rest of the suite. Grabbing his bags and slipping into the other room, he dropped his bags on the empty bed and opened up his suitcase. Pulling out a gray v-neck t-shirt, he tugged of his hoodie and put the t-shirt on, and after adjusting what he had in his pockets, he moved back into the suite and found his dad and the guys talking, "hey."

"Mom and Arin say 'hi'," Ethan nodded at him.

"Cool," Noah replied, taking a seat next to his dad, "what are they up to?"

"Having dinner with Alan and David. They all are waiting for the picture of Rachel meeting your friend," Ethan grinned.

Noah smirked, "I'm sure they are," he laughed. "Did mom tell them who it is?"

"Yeah and they think she'll be pleasantly surprised," Ethan commented looking up to see Rachel walking in.

Noah glanced over and saw her now in a white top with a light pink sweater over it (think Mash-up, when Noah picked Glee). "Hey babe," he smiled.

"Why do I get the feeling you guys were just talking about me?" She asked curiously.

"Because we were. Mom, Arin and your dads are waiting for your reaction to meeting my friend," he responded.

She blushed, "why can't you just tell me now?"

"Because you already know, you just haven't put it together yet," Noah said patting the couch next to him.

Rachel took a seat and crossed her arms over her chest, but the look on her face told him she was thinking, "you mean I already know him?"

"Not personally, but you know of him," Noah said.

"You know," Ethan commented, "it might be better if you did tell her now, it'll give her a chance to calm down from the shock before she meets him."

Noah sighed, "fine," he pulled out his phone and opened up his pictures and flipped through to one of him, Finn and the 'friend', "yes, that's Finn," he added turning it on the side so it made the picture larger and he passed her his phone.

Rachel took it in her hands and she first saw Noah with the mohawk, in between two guys, Finn was on one side and the guy on his other side had spiky black hair with an olive complexion, she stared at him for a long time and then she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, "are you serious?" She exclaimed looking at him with wide eyes.

"As a heart attack," he replied, a grin on his face.

"Taylor Lautner? As in Jacob Black in 'Twilight' and 'New Moon', Taylor Lautner? You're friends with him?"

"Yes, yes and yes," Noah laughed and took his phone back, flipping to another picture that was just him and Taylor, "we've been friends for like four years or so. He got popular in acting about the same time I started performing my first single at award shows; we met at the Kid's Choice Awards," he explained.

"Oh wow, I..." She just stared at the picture, but then started giggling, "I knew it! I had a feeling, but I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want you to think I'd been looking for who it was. For some reason, I had a feeling," she grinned brightly handing him his phone back, "I have been known to be a little psychic," she replied.

Noah raised a curious eyebrow, "oh yeah, what am I thinking right now?" He asked.

Rachel responded by leaning towards him and kissing him on the lips.

He smirked into the kiss, resting his hand against her cheek, and then brushed it through her hair as they pulled away, "either you're good or I'm that readable," he grinned.

Tim and Alex exchanged glances, but Ethan smirked, "you're that readable, no offense, Rachel," he added.

"None taken, I was going to say the same thing," Rachel responded flashing a grin to her boyfriend.

Noah blushed lightly.

"Wow, this is going take some getting used to," Tim admitted.

Alex nodded in agreement, "yeah. Not used to girls being around."

At his comment, Rachel gasped, "didn't you say that your friend's girlfriend would be there? Noah! Isn't Taylor Lautner dating Taylor Swift?"

"Yes, they are dating," Noah nodded. "They've only been dating since October and Taylor Swift and I have met at a few music award shows, but we've never really talked much, but she knows Lautner and I are friends," he replied.

"I'm gonna meet Taylor Swift!" She exclaimed, her voice reaching a slightly higher octave than it had been before, and she noticed, her hands flying to her mouth.

Noah jumped at her voice; he was sitting right next to her, "babe," he rubbed his ear a little, "you sound more excited to meet Swift, than you are to meet Lautner," he laughed.

"I'm sorry," she blushed, "but in a way I am. Sure Taylor Lautner is a wonderful actor and he is very handsome, but I'm dating you, so I'm not looking at other guys like that anymore. I am very excited to meet both of them, but Taylor Swift is a singer; she has a great voice and I like a lot of her songs. It's a music thing," she explained calming down.

He nodded, "I know," he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, "you're drawn to musicians; I mean you're dating me after all," he grinned kissing her again and pulling her close for a hug.

"Yep, definitely some getting used to," Alex commented.

"That's good to hear though," Rachel admitted looking at the two security guards.

"What is?" Noah asked.

"That this is something they're going to have to get used to because they're not used to you having girls around," she said softly.

Noah eyed her, "what? You didn't believe me?" He asked curiously.

"I'll admit when we first got together I was skeptical, but as I got to know you, I believed you; this only confirms what I already knew," she said, looking at him, and then her eyes widened and she looked at Alex and Tim, unsure if they knew or not.

"They know," Noah said noticing her reaction. As she relaxed, he hugged her, "you had every right to be skeptical of a guy you just met," he told her, "but I'm glad you eventually believed me," he smiled.

Rachel relaxed even more when he told her that, and she nodded, hugging him again.

...

The five left the hotel about thirty minutes before needing to be a the restaurant. The short drive, took about fifteen minutes with some traffic, so they pulled into the parking lot and found a spot to park in. Noah and Rachel slid out of the SUV on her side and he closed the door while Alex, Tim and his dad got out. Noah noticed her looking around for something, "what are you looking for?" He asked curiously, taking her hand in his.

Rachel blushed, "um, I was just looking to see if there was any paparazzi around."

He smirked and turned to face her, his free hand going to brush against her cheek, "does it matter?" He asked leaning in to press a kiss against her lips, holding it for a moment before pulling away, "because it doesn't to me," he said truthfully.

Her eyes drifted open and she smiled, "alright, I won't worry about them," she whispered.

"Good," he smiled at her, pushing some hair behind her ear before turning back to walk with her; their hands still joined together, while Ethan, Tim and Alex walked a few feet behind them, giving them some space, but close enough if they needed it.

"He said it doesn't matter?" Alex rolled his eyes, "sometimes I wanna snap those little paparazzi asses in half," he muttered.

"Me too," Tim agreed.

Reaching the doors, Noah pulled one open and let Rachel step inside first and then he followed in, holding the door open for the guys behind him. Once in, he noticed there were a few people seated, waiting for a table, but the woman at the table smiled at him. "_Konnichiwa, Puck-san_," she bowed to him. (Hello, Mr. Puck)

He bowed in return, "_konnichiwa_," he greeted, "Is Taylor here, yet?" He asked.

"Yes," she nodded, "you can go back," she motioned towards the back of the restaurant.

"_Arigato gozaimasu_," he bowed to her again and headed in that direction. (Thank you - politely)

"Did you just speak Japanese?" Rachel asked in shock as she looked at him.

He smirked, "yep. I know a few words. We went there about a year and a half ago and I loved it. Beautiful places to visit, lots to see. I'm kind of into it now, so I started learning anything I can about the culture," he responded, "and I picked up a few words here and there." Stepping around a private area, he noticed five people seated on one side of the table, "hey all," he smiled.

"Dude! About time you got here!" Taylor Lautner exclaimed hopping up from his seat.

Noah let go of Rachel's hand and shook Taylor's hand and they did the 'man hug' patting each other's back, "hey man," Noah responded.

Taylor smirked, pulling away from his friend, to look at him, "hum, I think this is the first time I've seen you, in person, without the mohawk," he admitted.

"Get used to it; I don't think the hawk is coming back," Noah replied with a laugh, his hand running through his short hair and then turned a little to Rachel, "I told her who you guys were just before we came over. Taylor, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Rachel. Rachel, this is Taylor Lautner," he introduced them.

Rachel blushed, "hello, Taylor, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, calmly holding out her hand to him.

Taylor smirked, taking her hand in his, "it's nice to meet you, too, Rachel," he agreed, "I've only seen a few pictures that he's sent me and heard about you, so it's great to finally meet," he told her, but then he saw his friend's eyes darting around the room and slipping away from Rachel, "oh, was I not supposed to say that?" Taylor laughed.

Rachel's eyes widened in shock as she stared at her boyfriend, "Noah, what did you send him?" She gasped.

Ethan eyed Noah curiously, "yes, just what did you send him?"

"Pictures of us, get your heads out of the gutter people," he rolled his eyes and moved over to the only other girl in the room, standing by the table, "hey Swift," he smiled at her.

"Hey Puck, it's good to see you, again," the other Taylor in the room replied, giving him a hug.

"You, too," he agreed returning her hug before turning to his girlfriend who was still standing near Lautner. "Taylor, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Rachel, Rachel, this is Taylor Swift."

Rachel moved across towards them, "it's an honor to meet you, Taylor," Rachel admitted, then glanced at the other Taylor, "both of you. I had a feeling I knew it was you guys, but wasn't for sure until Noah told me."

"You, too, Rachel. I hear you're into singing," the blond singer said to Rachel as they shook hands.

The adults in the room had already taken seats at the long table and while the girls took their seats at the end of the table, the boys sat between their dads and girlfriends so they were across from each other, "Noah, huh?" Taylor L. commented with a grin, "I thought only your parents and sister called you that."

"Everyone at home does," he shrugged, "it's my name," Noah added.

Taylor nodded and the girls were deep into a conversation about music styles and vocals, so the boys continued, "so I ordered our usual because I figured you wouldn't want Rachel tryin' the raw stuff and we don't usually eat it anyway," he admitted.

Noah nodded, "works for me. As long as it's food, I'm good," he unconsciously slipped his arm around Rachel's back and rested it between her shoulder blades.

Taylor noticed him, "dude, this is a new side of you," he admitted.

"So I've heard," he laughed, "what's wrong with it? I like my girl, and?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, I'm just not used to it-"

"No way! Seriously, this one?" Taylor S. giggled, pointing to Noah.

"Seriously," Rachel nodded with a smile, "he's the male lead of our Glee Club."

"What's a Glee Club?" The other Taylor asked, looking across at his friend.

"It's a show choir," Rachel replied, "oh, you didn't tell him?" She grinned, giving him a 'payback is a bitch' look. "Show choir is a group of people who not only sing, but also perform choreography along with the song, sometimes to a theme or try and tell a story and usually the members are dressed in costumes," she explained simply.

Taylor Lautner busted out laughing, holding his stomach as he laughed hard, at the same time he watched his friend turn beet red. "You're in the..." He laughed again, "you joined the," he chuckled, trying to calm down, "you, singing and dancing... I'm sorry, but I just can't see you doing that."

Noah took a deep breath, "well I am," he was still red, but was trying not to snap, "you can stop laughing any time," Noah added seriously.

Taylor bit his lip, a grin on his face as he nodded, "dude!"

"_Saved by food,_" Noah thought seeing a few servers walk in with larger platters of sushi that they sat between everyone on the table.

Rachel eyed the platters curiously, seeing the rolls of rice on the outside with stuff inside, "what is all this?" She asked.

"We like sushi, but not a huge fan of the raw stuff, so we stick to eating what is known as the 'Western-style sushi'," Noah took the package of chopsticks from the table and broke them apart and pointed to the varieties on the platters, "there's the California roll that has avocado, crab and cucumber in it which we eat the most of," he leaned over to see the other ones, "a vegetable role which just as cucumber, carrots and avocado and then there's a cream cheese roll with that and cucumber and avocado in it," he said, "dude, how many kinds did you get?" Noah laughed, seeing a fourth one, "and this looks like smoked salmon, avocado and cucumber."

"It's their Seattle roll," Taylor L. commented, "figured we could try something different and you know, Seattle is in Washington, so it's in the same state as Forks," he shrugged.

Noah smirked and sat back, looking at his girlfriend, "you look confused."

"Not confused," she admitted, "I just thought that all sushi was raw fish."

"There are a lot of varieties of sushi and most of them do have raw fish in them, but like I said, we go for the Western-style because most of it is cooked. There is also sashimi which is all raw fish, but we don't go there. I tried it in Japan and that was enough for me. Nothing is raw up here, unless you count the vegetables," he added.

"And the green stuff it's wrapped in is seaweed, right?" She looked at him.

"Dried seaweed, it's called _nori_," he added. "I promise you'll like it," he picked up one of the vegetable rolls from the platter and set it on her plate with his chopsticks and then added one to his plate, "_itadakimasu!_" (Common to say before eating, literally means 'I humbly receive', but can be seen as 'let's eat!')

"Itada-what?" Rachel eyed him and then looked at the package of chopsticks, "and do I have to use those?"

"It's commonly said before eating and you can use a fork," he shrugged, motioning to them, "I'm surprised with all the take-out you and your dads eat you've not mastered the chopsticks," he smirked.

"I've tried them, but I could never hold them right," she admitted.

Noah looked across the table to see Taylor showing Taylor how to hold them and he picked up Rachel's and took her hand, laying them in her hand and picked up his and showed her the best way to hold them comfortably, then picked up the piece of sushi he had on his place and popped it into his mouth with ease.

Watching him and then attempting it herself, she managed to pick up the piece on her plate and pop it into her mouth without it falling and chewed the new food to her and actually found she liked the flavors; she tasted the rice and the vegetables and could faintly tell the flavor of the dried seaweed, but it didn't over power the other flavors, "not bad," she admitted.

Noah smiled, "glad to hear it," he replied

Rachel enjoyed the sushi and she and Taylor Swift seemed to continue on their conversation and the rest of the guys kept up with some small talk until Lautner asked how school was going.

Noah shrugged, "fine, nothing major. Football season just finished a little over a week ago and all is good in class. Rachel and I have math and science together, so it's a great way to end the day," he added.

"Really? You haven't had like any crazy fan issues yet? I mean we can hardly walk down the street without girls screaming your name or sometimes mine," he commented in shock.

Noah laughed, "the first week or so it was like that. Finn, Matt and Mike kept close to me and helped out if necessary. With Rachel and I getting together that brought paparazzi around, but it we managed. It's slowly died down and I'm just starting to be able to go out in town again," he explained, "mom and I went grocery shopping here about a week ago and it was nice, I didn't hear one scream and no one asked for my autograph. I don't mind singing things, but the townspeople are pretty respectful; I mean I am a hometown boy, so they treat me like just another teen, which is nice."

"I'm glad," Taylor L. nodded, "I hoped this would work out for you; you know, going home and being with your friends and family. I was worried it wouldn't, but I didn't want to say anything."

"It's working out great," Noah smiled, glancing at Rachel, "really great."

Rachel smiled back at him, nervously pushing her hair behind her ears.

"Girl, we're going to have to talk when they're not around," Taylor S. commented with a giggle.

"We will," Rachel agreed with a nod, the smile still on her face, but she turned to look at the two boys, "so how did you two meet exactly?" She asked, "you are not in the same profession, so it's kind of confusing," she admitted.

"March two-thousand-six. I was performing my first single at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards and Taylor was in 'Cheaper by the Dozen 2' and 'The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl' so he was there," Noah started.

"I was sitting a row behind him and his manager introduced us. We talked during commercial breaks and we found we grew up close by; him in Ohio and me in Michigan. By the time we met I was living in LA, but we got talking about sports and found we liked football and I said my dad and I were fans of the University of Michigan's Wolverines and you know he and Ethan are Buckeye fans," Taylor explained, motioning towards Noah and Ethan.

"His mom was with him and when he introduced us to her, he said her name was Deborah, same spelling as my mom and we both have little sisters so we had a lot in common. We exchanged numbers after the show and kept in touch. We were both getting popular at the same time so it was nice to have someone close to the same age that was dealing with the same thing, even if he was an actor and I was a singer," Noah added.

"So then how did you not know about Twilight?" Rachel asked her boyfriend.

He smirked, "I knew of it from what he told me about his new acting job, but I'd never heard of the book series before that, and when he took the part he said it was a low budget movie, so neither of us thought much about it until it came out and it was major. When it hit theaters in November of last year, I was just going back into the studio from spending a few months at McKinley, so I didn't go to the premiere, but dad and I managed to go see it in New York and then I saw what all the hype was about. That's when I got all the books to read," he told her.

"Okay, that does make sense," Rachel admitted.

"So aside from the premiere are you guys doing anything while you're here?" Taylor S. asked Rachel.

Rachel blushed a little, "Noah's taking me to the beach. I've never been there before," she replied.

"Really? Never?"

"Never," she replied, "my family and I always went to New York and saw Broadway musicals or did educational tours at museums or historical places; the beach never seemed to be on the list of things to do," she admitted, "and up until Noah asked me to come to LA with him, I hadn't really thought much of it."

The girls moved onto another topic as dinner ended and Noah was keeping an eye on his girlfriend. It was just after eight at night in California, which meant it was eleven at night back home in Lima, so he expected her to start getting tired soon, since most of her family travels had been within the Eastern time zone; her body would still be on Ohio time; a three hour difference than in Los Angeles.

"Are you guys coming to the after party?" Lautner asked.

"Uh," Noah glanced at his dad, "do we have time to?"

"Well our flight leaves at nine-thirty Tuesday morning, so we'll have to be at the airport by seven-thirty. We can go for a while, but we it's going to be an early morning, so I don't know how long you'll want to stay," he admitted.

Noah turned back to his friend, "so probably not," he replied.

Taylor nodded, "I didn't think you would be going," he commented, "I figured you were leaving, but now I'm sure," he turned to Rachel, "I'll make sure you're able to meet the cast before you guys leave," he smiled.

Rachel's eyes widened, "you don't have to do that, Taylor."

"I know, but I want to," he replied, "you gotta take home something to brag about, right?" he winked at her.

"Speaking of that," Noah looked at his girlfriend, "where's your camera?"

"In my bag, why?" She asked.

"Get it out and I'll take a picture of you. I'm not sure who they're going to scream more over; Swift or Lautner, but I wanna see it," he laughed.

Rachel shifted and opened her bag, taking her camera out and handed it to him. He motioned for her to move around the table and the four stood up. Rachel stood between the Taylors and he got a nice shot of them together and then he took one of just Rachel and Taylor S. and then one with her and Taylor L. and then Ethan stood up, "get over there, Noah," he said taking the camera.

Noah moved around to them, "Rachel, you better get the pictures you want now, because I don't know how much time we'll have tomorrow night to do this," he told her.

Rachel nodded and the girls stood in the middle and their boyfriends next to them and Ethan took the picture. He then took one of each of the couples separately before Rachel slipped from them and Noah stood on Taylor Swift's other side and Ethan took one of the Taylors and Noah together before he handed back the camera to Rachel. "Hold on, I want a picture of the boys together," she said and Noah and Taylor stood next to each other, and Rachel took the last shot of the night, just as a yawn hit her. "I'm sorry," she shook her head a little, "I shouldn't be tired; it's only eight-thirty," she commented as they all retook their seats.

"Yeah, but it's eleven-thirty back home, babe," Noah replied leaning over to look at the pictures she had taken, since she was looking at them.

"Rachel, you've gotta send me copies of those," Taylor S. commented.

"I can do that," Rachel nodded, "would you like me to email them to you when we get home?"

Taylor pulled out a pen and a tablet from her bag, "yeah, that will be great and I'll give you my cell phone number so we can talk without the boys around," she grinned writing down her information and then handed her the paper.

Rachel took the note and read over it, making sure she could read it before folding it and slipping it into her bag along with her camera, "I can give you my information, too," Rachel replied, and Taylor handed her the tablet and pen. Writing her email address and phone number down, she handed it back to her.

With information exchanged, Ethan paid the bill this time, since Daniel Lautner, Taylor's dad, had paid last time they'd eaten there and once it was covered, everyone got up and made their way out of the private area, gasps of shock waving over the room from the patrons who had no clue they were there. Noah kept one arm around Rachel's shoulders while he waved at them with his other hand and both Taylors were waving at them as they filed outside. Finding out they were in the same parking lot, the group headed across the street and once there it was quieter, so they were able to say their goodbyes.

"It was so great meeting you, Rachel," Taylor Swift commented giving her a hug, "we're gonna have to keep in touch," she added.

Rachel smiled, "yes, I'd love that," she agreed returning the girl's hug.

"I, unfortunately, won't be at the premiere; I have some things to take care of in Nashville," she admitted, "so I'm leaving in the morning," she added sadly.

Noah wrapped his arms around her, "cheer up, Taylor, you should still be on the high from winning 'Entertainer of the Year' at the Country Music Association awards last week, congratulations, by the way," he said with a grin.

As the two pulled from their hug, Taylor had a blush on her cheeks, "thanks Puck," she smiled, "it was great to see you again. The four of us should do this another time."

"If you're ever in the Ohio area, feel free to stop in," he said, "we're around."

"We might just take you up on that offer," Taylor L. commented hugging Rachel, "see you tomorrow night, Rachel," he told her.

"You will," she agreed, returning his hug before stepping away from them.

Not wanting to gather an audience of fans or paparazzi, the group said their final goodbyes and headed for their respective SUVs. The Sunday evening traffic was not as busy as expected, so their drive back to the hotel only took about ten minutes, so it was just getting to nine when they returned to the parking garage.

With his arm slung around Rachel's shoulders, Noah guided her towards the elevators and once they were on, they headed up to their floor and down to their room.

"What time do you guys want to go in the morning?" Alex asked.

Noah shrugged, "how about ten? Gives us a chance to sleep in and we'll still have plenty of time to spend there before we need to get ready for the premiere," he suggested.

Ethan and Tim nodded in agreement, "that works, night guys," Tim said waving at them.

Alex followed and the two bodyguards walked down the hallway to their room while Ethan opened up the door to their suite and the three stepped inside.

Rachel had been fighting to stay awake since they'd gotten in the car, so while Ethan went to his and Noah's room, Noah guided his girlfriend into her room, "bedtime for you, babe," he said softly.

"I shouldn't be this tired; it's only three hours," she murmured wrapping her arms around his neck.

He smirked, "babe, it's midnight at home. By this time you're usually asleep. Even back there you're usually nodding off at ten or eleven. Maybe if you didn't wake up at five or six every morning you wouldn't be this tired," he explained pressing a kiss to her lips.

"But I like getting up then so I have time to workout before school," she whispered, pulling away from him to sit on the edge of the bed.

He brushed her hair from her eyes, "I know," he kissed her forehead. "You think you're good or you want me to get you anything?" He asked softly.

Taking a deep breath she stood up and shook her head, "no, I'm alright, thank you for offering though," she wrapped her arms around him. "Tonight was -"

He pressed his lips against hers, "sleep, we can talk about it in the morning," he promised giving her tight hug.

She nodded against his chest and relaxed for a moment, "okay, good night, Noah."

"Good night, Rachel," he kissed her again before they let go of each other, "if you do need anything, text me. I'll be up for a while."

She nodded, "what are you going to do?"

"Probably crack my Spanish book open," he admitted.

"Okay," she nodded again and watched him walk out of her room, closing the door lightly behind him. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Rachel sighed and dug out a pair of pajamas and changed into them before setting an alarm on her phone for eight-am and setting it by the bedside table, "I really don't need this big of a bed," she muttered, crawling up onto one side of the bed and settling against the pillows, closing her eyes and hoping to get to sleep soon.

...

Noah walked out of Rachel's room into his and his dad's room, seeing his dad crawling into bed, "bed already?" Noah asked.

Ethan laughed, "I think we're all used to sleeping at home by this time. You and I can deal with the time change better than Rachel, but for the last three months we've both been home and got back to a normal sleep schedule, so yeah," he nodded.

"Good point," Noah replied changing into a McKinley t-shirt and a pair of red football sweatpants before grabbing his Spanish book from his carry-on and getting into bed. "Hey dad?"

"Yeah?" Ethan looked up from his iPhone.

"I was thinking about doing a concert at school just before Winter Break," he told him.

"What?"

"Well, why not? I mean Sectionals is like a week before school is out, so like the last day of school would be a great time to do it. Kind of a thank you for the support," he explained.

"You'll have to talk to Principal Figgins and Elliott, but, if you want to, I don't see why you couldn't," he admitted.

"I kind of already talked to Principal Figgins and he said he'd be fine with it as long as the school doesn't have to pay for anything and he suggested we do like a 'Puck' afternoon, where all the classes would be shortened so they all end before lunch and after lunch do a concert and kind of an autograph signing slash meet-and-greet for a few hours before the days out, so it'd only be available for the students and staff," he said.

Ethan smirked, "sounds like you've got this pretty thought out. I'll call Elliott tomorrow and see what he says; I'm sure he'll love it," he agreed, "I like the idea, myself. Are you sure you want to do this? I mean things have finally calmed down and the girls aren't freaking out like they were when you first started; it could start that back up again."

"I'm sure, and I figured they'll have two weeks of Winter Break to get over it before we go back to school," he replied.

Ethan nodded, "alright; as long as you're up for it and Figgins is cool with it, I'll get Elliott on board and we'll do it," he said shifting in bed and laying back.

"Night dad," Noah said seeing his dad settling in to sleep; he knew his dad.

"Night son," he replied, setting his phone aside and turning on his side.

Noah opened his Spanish book and set his phone next to him, reading over the new chapter Will told him to look at and focused on the vocabulary. He realized his dad was already asleep and as he flipped to the next page in his book he was startled by his phone beeping. Looking at the screen he saw a new text message from Rachel and opened it to read, "_I can't sleep._"

Closing his book softly, Noah stood up and slipped his phone into his pocket and headed for Rachel's room, knocking lightly before pushing open the door and stepping into her room, purposely leaving it open, "hey, you okay?" He asked, surprised that she wasn't asleep.

Rachel sat up and shrugged, "I can't sleep. I've tried, but it's not working. I don't know if it's just nerves of being in a new place or something else," she sighed.

Noah nodded, "yeah, being in a strange place can make a person nervous; it took me a long time to be comfortable staying in a new hotel almost every night. Every noise you hear, you wonder what it is, it sucks," he told her sitting on the bed next to her, "do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?" He asked softly.

"Would you?" She asked nervously.

"Of course," he smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips, "I promised I'd protect you and even if you don't think it, I'm sure you're a little scared about all this. I'd be happy to stay and make sure you get to sleep," he replied taking one of her hands in his.

She bit her lip and looked at him, "do you think... Do you think it'd be okay if you stayed all night?" She whispered.

"Do you want me to?" He asked, "because I will."

"Yes, I would feel more comfortable if you did," she agreed.

"Okay, then, scoot over," he murmured standing up and letting go of her hand. She slid back into the bed a little more, giving him room. He took his phone out of his pocket and set it next to hers on the night stand, "are you okay with me getting in with you? If not I can crash on top of the covers; it's up to you," he commented, needing to make sure she was comfortable.

She reached out and took his hand, "I trust you, Noah, and I wouldn't have asked you to stay if I didn't mean sharing the bed," she admitted.

Tugging back the blankets, he crawled up in bed and settled on his side, facing her. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her lips, "this is a new step; I'm okay with it, I just want to make sure you are; I don't want you to freak out."

"I know. Thank you for being concerned, but I feel more relaxed now that you're here," she whispered.

"You're welcome and I'm glad I could help you relax," he replied gently, reaching over her to get one of the unused pillows and put it behind his head, propping himself up so he could lay on his back and once he was settled, Rachel curled against him, her head resting against his chest and her arm draped over his waist. He slipped his arm under her, his hand resting against her back as his other arm reached over and turned off the light on the nightstand. He pulled the blankets up over them, "get some sleep, babe. I'll be here when you wake up," he assured her.

Nodding her head, she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips, "good night, Noah, thank you."

"Night, beautiful," he whispered against her lips before kissing her again, his free hand gently pushing her hair from her face.

When they pulled away from their kiss, she settled back against his chest and he sunk into the soft pillows feeling more relaxed than he had ever felt. He gently rubbed her back and slowly felt her drifting off. When her breathing evened out, he knew she'd fallen asleep, and a smile tugged at his lips as he looked at her. Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled and closed his eyes, letting the content feelings draw him into a peaceful sleep.

...

A/N4: Thanks to 'My Japanese Coach' I have on my Nintendo DS Lite and 'Learn Japanese' podcast by for the help with the Japanese. Yes, I'm teaching myself Japanese. The sushi stuff I learned about at work; the deli/bakery I work in also has a sushi counter and the woman there is pretty cool, so I've had a chance to talk to her, so thanks Mi Cha!

A/N5: *Hides* don't kill me for bringing up Taylor Lautner. In looking him up, I realized he and Noah have a lot in common; little sisters, moms named Deborah, both are into football, teen celebs, know musical teens, and close to the same age, so they would be perfect celebuddies. ;)

A/N6: Happy 28th Birthday, Cory Monteith! Today, May 11th, is his birthday.

A/N7: What a whirlwind few weeks! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this! After I updated the previous chapter, I focused myself on my Support Stacie Author Auction fic, 'Became the Summer', and I'm really proud of what I came out with. If you haven't read it, please do and tell me what you think!

A/N8: On Saturday, May 1st, I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Deadliest Catch Convention 'CatchCon' in Seattle and I had a blast! Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet everyone I wanted to, but I was able to meet all the captains and a few deckhands and catch up with some fellow DC fan friends that I've met in the past few years. That's the most major excitement in my life, right now, lol. Thank you all for sticking with me and again, I'm so sorry it too so long for me to get this updated.

A/N9: The Glee awards is still open for nominations until the 15th of May, so if you like any of my fic (Out of the Blue, Starlight, Became the Summer, Gotta Start Somewhere), head on over to ( community . livejournal . com/ gleeawards/ ) and find out how you can nominate them.

...


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Ethan slept until seven in the morning and when he woke up, he expected to find his son sound asleep in the next bed, but he was surprised and confused to see it empty. "_Maybe he woke up early,_" he thought, then laughed, knowing his son enough to know he slept in as late as possible. Focusing more on the bed, he could tell it had not been slept in all night, the blankets only pulled back enough to sit down on and his textbook was in the middle of the bed. "_Okay, I know he was here when I went to sleep last night,_" he glanced at the time on his phone and then got out of bed and moved out of the room, curious where his teenager had gone. Glancing around the suite he found no sign of him, "_oh crap._" He groaned, "_do I even want to know?_" He moved towards Rachel's room and saw the door open, so he stepped into the doorway and rubbed his eyes, focusing on the two, wrapped up together in the oversized bed. "_Okay, they are wearing shirts, that's a good sign; at least the didn't... Never mind, I don't even want to know right now. I need coffee before I can deal with this,_" he took a deep breath and pulled the door closed as he stepped from the room, not even sure where to begin with that.

...

Rachel woke up before her alarm, feeling many things she'd never felt before; or at least; that she ever noticed. She knew she hadn't moved from her spot next to her boyfriend, her arm draped over his stomach, her head resting against his chest, and she felt so comfortable, warm and safe, that she didn't want to move, so she stayed next to him, soaking in that moment as she relaxed. When her cell phone went off, she lifted her head and tried to reach for it, but her arm was too short, and her boyfriend was blindly reaching for the same thing, "Noah, it's my cell phone alarm," she said softly.

His eyes drifted open and focused on the night stand and grabbed her phone and handed it to her, smiling, "good morning," he whispered, "this is new."

She nodded and quickly turned the ringing off, "yes, it is new," she agreed shifting up to press a kiss to his cheek, "I very much enjoyed last night," she added, "I don't think I've felt that comfortable before."

"Same here," he replied, relaxing against the pillows, "and I don't want to get up. I'm too comfortable."

"But you told Alex and Tim we'd leave the hotel about ten; and it's eight now. That's not much time for the three of us to get ready and eat something for breakfast," she said softly, not really wanting to get up just yet, either.

His eyes widened and he turned to look towards the door, "oh no," he muttered.

Rachel looked at him, "what? What's wrong?" She asked concerned.

He motioned towards the door, "I left that open last night," he replied rubbing his hand over his face.

"And it's closed now," her eyes widened as she sat up, gasping in shock.

Sitting up himself, he sighed, "so my dad knows I slept in here last night. He was asleep already when you sent me that text," he explained.

"But we didn't do anything, Noah, except sleep," she said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder, "do you think he's going to be mad?"

"I honestly don't know," he admitted, turning to look at her, "I hope he trusts us both enough to know we wouldn't do that, or at least that we're not ready for that right now, but seeing us in the same bed together and knowing kids our age, hard telling what he'll think or believe," Noah commented, taking a deep breath. Exhaling, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, kissing her gently, "not exactly how I planned our wake-up to go, but I did enjoy waking up next to you," he replied.

Rachel smiled and nodded, "I did as well, Noah," she agreed, not wanting to let go, but knowing they would have to.

"Why don't you shower and get dressed and I'll go deal with dad? If he's pissed, you don't need to be around for that. Then I'll get ready and we can order room service and go," he said softly.

"Noah, if he's mad, then you can't take all the blame. I'm the reason you stayed in the first place," she told him.

"I know, and you can tell him that, but if he's pissed he can snap at me and he'll cool off before you talk to him," he commented.

Rachel debated his idea, and nodded, realizing he knew his father better than she did, "alright, but don't go taking all the blame, Noah," she warned him.

Noah kissed her forehead and reluctantly let her go, "I won't and we didn't do anything. Sure he might be pissed and we might get a lecture, but we're responsible," he assured her, glad the blanket was covering his waist at the moment, because there were things a guy just couldn't hide.

"I'll be out in about thirty minutes," she told him.

He nodded, kissing her one last time before grabbing his phone, slipping it into his pocket, "I should be showered and dressed by then, too," he agreed sliding out of bed and heading to the door, "by the way," he turned slightly to look at her, "you're always beautiful, but you're even more when you first wake up," he said smiling at her before opening the door and stepping out of the room.

Rachel blushed as he walked out and once the door was closed again, she pushed herself out of bed and moved to her suitcase, grabbing her toiletries bag and headed into the private bathroom, feeling the warmth all over her body from his compliment.

...

Once Noah closed the door behind him, he took a deep breath and headed towards his and his dads room and found his dad sitting on the couch reading the LA Times. "Uh, morning dad."

"Morning, son, sleep well?" He asked causally, not taking his eyes from the newspaper.

"Yeah, I slept great," he said honestly, "uh... About-"

"Shower, get dressed, then we'll talk; all _three_ of us," he said cutting him off before he could even try to explain.

"_He's pissed,_" Noah thought, silently padding into the bedroom and grabbing what he needed to shower with and some clothes and headed to the suite's other bathroom and went inside, shutting the door, and tried to focus. He didn't want to take too long, so he pushed all the thoughts in his head aside, turned on the water and stepped in to the cold shower.

...

Since Ethan had discovered Noah and Rachel sleeping together, he knew he was going to have to take care of it there and not involve Deborah or Rachel's dads. He was pretty sure that they didn't do anything except sleep; they were teens, but were responsible and more mature than most teens their age, so he did give them some credit, but he still had the nerves building in his stomach.

The relationship between the teens was not just new territory for them; it was also new territory for their parents and while Ethan knew this would come someday, he didn't expect it this soon. Noah was his first born and with the celebrity, a lot of things had taken a back seat in his life, which included relationships, so his parents didn't have to deal with a girlfriend, but now that he was at school and was dating Rachel, Ethan and Deborah both knew that if their relationship continued, there could be things they'd have to deal with, and part of Ethan had hoped Deborah could have been the one to find them, not him, but she was home in Lima and he was there and he couldn't wait to talk to them about this; he wanted to take care of it as soon as possible.

Hearing the bathroom door open and close moments later, he saw his son walk out and head into their room and came out moments later, sitting down on the couch, not saying anything.

"Elliott is in for the concert at school. He wants you to come up with the set list, figure out who you need there for the band, what instruments and equipment you'll need and what kind of set you want and he'll get it there," Ethan said.

"He's letting me do it all? He doesn't want to help?" Noah asked in shock.

"He'll help, but since it's your idea, he wants you to take lead on it and between you, Figgins and I, we can come up with where you'll have it; either in the gym or auditorium and all that," he explained.

"This is great!" Noah grinned and sat back, "I've kind of already thought about the songs I want to sing and I want to use all of our stuff; not the schools stuff. Figgins is cool, but I know he's always worried about the budget, so if we so much as crack a piano key he'll have a fit."

Ethan nodded, "yeah, good point."

Rachel nervously stepped out of her room in a jean skirt and a lavender sweater, with silver ballet flats. She looked between her boyfriend and his father, wondering what was going on, "Ethan, I can-"

Ethan held up his hand to stop her, "have a seat, Rachel," he commented standing up as he motioned to the couch next to Noah.

Rachel looked at him, but took a seat next to her boyfriend.

"Alright, what happened last night?" He asked.

"Well Noah told me-" "Rachel sent me-"

"One at a time," Ethan smirked, as they both tried to talk at the same time.

"Ladies first," Noah motioned to Rachel.

Rachel took a deep breath and sat forward on the couch, "I was unable to get to sleep last night, so I sent Noah a text message that I couldn't sleep."

"So I went into her room and was going to stay with her until she got to sleep. I know what it's like to be alone in a hotel room, all the noises and the nerves," Noah explained.

"But I didn't think I'd be able to sleep all night if he left, so I asked him to stay. We didn't do anything except sleep, so if there is anyone to blame here, it's me," Rachel said.

"You're not taking all the blame, babe, I stayed. If he wants to get pissed -"

"Hey you two!" Ethan laughed, "I'm not looking to place blame on anyone, I just wanted to know how you two ended up sleeping the same bed together," Ethan commented truthfully. He watched them relax and get out of 'defense mode', "look, you're both good kids and I'd like to give you both the benefit of the doubt and trust when you say that nothing else happened. Nothing else happened, right?" He asked softly.

"Right," both Noah and Rachel said at the same time. "We just slept in the same bed," Noah added.

"Good to know. Now," Ethan took a deep breath and then looked at Rachel, "Rachel, do you know how old Deborah and I are?" He asked gently.

"Dad, do we have to do this now?" Noah groaned, rubbing his forehead with his hand.

"Noah, she doesn't know, so I think this is the perfect time to tell her," Ethan replied, looking at Rachel.

"No, I don't know how old you two are," she admitted nervously.

"Do you know when Noah was born?"

"August seventeenth, nineteen-ninety-two," Rachel replied, "he turned seventeen this year."

Ethan nodded, "how old do you think Deborah and I were when Noah was born? I'll also say that I'm only four days older than her."

"I don't know," Rachel said, "twenty-two or twenty-three."

Shaking his head, he looked at her, "Deborah and I turned eighteen in May of nineteen-ninety-two and we graduated from high school in June of the same year. Noah was born two months later," he told her, "so, I hope you can see where I'm going with this."

Rachel nodded, "yes, I do see where you are going," she agreed, "I didn't know."

"We're not ashamed of being thirty-five and having a seventeen year old, we just don't advertise it," he said, "we were both good kids, too, and we chose not to wait and along came Noah. I can't sit here and lecture you both on the importance of waiting until marriage and all that, because Deb and I didn't. I'd be a hypocrite if I did, but what I can say, is that if your relationship did progress to that, I hope you both are ready for what could happen. Deborah and I weren't, but we managed."

"Dad, we've only been together two-and-a-half months, we're no where near ready for that yet, but I'm not going to deny that last night was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time," Noah replied, "there's nothing wrong with us sleeping in the same bed."

Rachel bit her lip, "I... I agree with Noah. I slept very well last night and we didn't do anything except sleep, and there is nothing wrong with that."

Ethan rubbed his forehead and nodded, "I'm not going to disagree with you, because being at home and being able to sleep with my wife, I've slept better in the past few months than I have in the past four years, but the difference is we're adults, you're teenagers. Teenagers don't have sleep overs with the opposite gender," he responded. "You guys have your entire lives to spend together, if that's what you choose to do, so you don't have to rush into anything right now, okay?"

The teens nodded, realizing he was right, "um, are you going to tell mom and Rachel's dads?" Noah asked curiously.

"Nope, you two are, when we drop Rachel off at home tomorrow night," he said with a grin, just as there was a knock on the door. He stood up and met room service at the door and offered the kid a tip before he left and Ethan moved the cart into the room. "I ordered breakfast to be delivered at nine," he commented.

"You're not changing the subject," Noah responded, "we're telling them? Why?"

"I can't speak for Rachel's dads. They need to know and telling them the truth is better than hiding it from them," he told them.

Rachel nodded, "I agree, Noah, I have never lied to my dads or hid anything from them, I don't want to start now. I also don't want to have this conversation over the phone."

Noah bit his lip and sighed, "I hope you guys say something nice at my funeral."

"They're not going to kill you, Noah," Rachel nudged him with a giggle, "though daddy might jump into a lecture about safe sex," she commented.

"That's just as bad," Noah groaned.

Ethan smirked, "which is why I've already talked to your mom and asked her to not bring Arin with her. That way we can have the discussion without her around."

...

Noah knew that telling her dads was the right thing, but that still didn't make him feel very comfortable about it, but he decided to push aside the worries for the following day, so he could enjoy some time at the beach with his girlfriend and then take her to a movie premiere without other things on his mind.

Alex and Tim came down about ten to ten and Rachel got her camera, phone and ID and soon they were leaving the hotel. Noah had made sure he grabbed his baseball cap; sure it was November, but it was nice in California year round, so there would be people around.

Rachel went back to taking pictures as Tim drove through the streets, still amazed at the sights she'd only seen in pictures and in television and movies. They were heading to Santa Monica; there were beaches all over LA, but in proximity to where they were staying, it was the closest and it also gave Rachel a chance to see the world famous pier.

"Take a picture of the Ocean Avenue sign if you can see it," Noah said and at her confused look he smirked, "I'll tell you later."

When they had to stop near it anyway, Rachel got a picture of the street sign and soon they were pulling into a parking lot just north of the pier.

As soon as Rachel stepped out of the SUV, the salty air hit her nose and the crashing waves along the shore filled her ears and immediately she relaxed. Her boyfriend's hand soon took hers and he was guiding them towards the sand.

"Shouldn't we wait for your dad and the guys?" She asked concerned.

He glanced back and saw them walking towards them, "they're giving us some space. It's not too busy and it'll kind of draw more attention if they see us with three guys standing around," he added.

"Oh, alright," Rachel replied as they began to cross the soft sand.

Noah stopped halfway to the water and kicked off his shoes and stepped into the sand with his bare feet. "You can take your shoes of and leave them here if you want," he said.

Taking his advice, she slipped her shoes of and the two silently continued their walk towards the water. She never wanted to forget this moment, the sand between her toes, the warm November sun beating down on her face, the cool breeze hitting her and her boyfriend's hand gently holding her as they walked, "_definitely a wonderful way to experience the Pacific Ocean for the first time,_" she thought, a smile tugging at her lips as she also snapped pictures of the water, the beach and the pier; she never wanted to forget.

As they reached the more compact sand by the water's edge, Rachel turned to look at her boyfriend, "it's beautiful here, Noah," she whispered, turning to look at him as the waves crashed along the shore.

"Yeah it is," he agreed, slipping his arm around her shoulders, "but I know something else that is," he added pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Rachel blushed, knowing he was complimenting her. She leaned her head against him, "Noah, I can't compare to this," she motioned around.

"You're right, you don't," he told her, "you're more beautiful," he added with a grin.

She slipped an arm around his waist and relaxed against him, "thank you for bringing me here," she whispered, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

He smiled and turned so he was facing her, then leaned down to brush a kiss to her lips as he hugged her, "you're welcome," he replied with a smile.

Returning his hug, she turned her head to look out to the ocean, still trying to wrap her brain around her being in California, on the beach in Santa Monica, standing near the Pacific Ocean; all with her boyfriend.

Noah felt for her camera, which was hanging from the strap around her wrist and he tugged it from her and turned it on, holding it up a little and snapped a picture of them together before he pulled away from her and walked into the shallow water, "come on in," he grinned.

Rachel blushed, but stepped forward, unsure what to expect, but as soon as she did a wave crashed against the shore and covered their feet. She jumped in shock and darted away from the water, "it's cold!" She exclaimed.

Noah laughed, "yeah, it will be at first, but it's just because you weren't expecting it. You'll get used to it," he promised.

Rachel contemplated his comment, and then stepped back to the water, moving to stand next to him as the water hit her and though she jumped again, the water did seem warmer.

Noah stepped behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, leaning down and resting his chin on her shoulder, "so, what do you think?" He asked.

"I think this has been an amazing trip and I don't want to leave tomorrow," she admitted.

"There will be plenty more opportunities for us to come back," he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She nodded, "I'd like that," she agreed, turning in his arms to kiss him, her arms wrapping around his waist.

He smiled and tugged out his iPhone, and stepped back a bit and snapped a picture of her with the ocean behind her and then made it his wallpaper.

"Do you think they'd come over to take some pictures of us together?" She asked.

"I don't know, they look so busy," he laughed, seeing all three guys standing in the sand about twenty fifty away. He turned on her camera and zoomed in, taking a shot of them before he called them over.

The three came over and they took some time passing around camera phones and Rachel's camera, getting various shots; Rachel wanting as many as she could get. Ethan snapped a picture of the teens together and then Alex took one with Ethan, Rachel and Noah with Ethan's phone, that Ethan promptly sent to Deborah with the words 'wish you two were here' inside the message. He also sent the picture to Noah and Rachel so they could have it.

...

After a while, the three men went back to where they had been, talking and enjoying the downtime, while the teens continued to wander around. They had walked down the beach a ways, but started back towards where they had been when they saw it was after noon. The two paused at the edge of the water, standing so it covered their feet every time a wave came in and Noah had been debating something since the day before, and he felt like that was the best time to tell her, "hey Rach?" he said softly.

Rachel turned so she was facing him, "yes?"

Noah rested his hands on her shoulders, "um, remember yesterday, when I said I liked you?" As she nodded her head, he bit his lip, "well, you see, I kind of didn't tell you the whole truth," he said nervously.

Her eyes widened in shock, "I... what? I don't understand, I thought-"

He saw the hurt flash across her face, so he pressed his lips to hers in a loving kiss to cut her off and pulled her against him, until she relaxed and when she did, he pulled away enough to look at her and smiled, "I don't just like you," he explained, "I love you, Rachel," he told her truthfully, brushing a hand along her cheek.

She gasped at his words, studying him for a long moment; she was stunned silent.

Pressing his forehead against hers, he rubbed his hands along her upper arms, "you don't have to say it back if you don't want to, I just... I wanted to tell you; to be honest with you," he explained softly, worried that her silence meant she didn't feel the same.

"Oh Noah," she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss, "you just stunned me," she admitted, "I didn't expect you to say that, that's all," she kissed him again and as their lips parted, she smiled at him, "I love you, too. I have wanted to tell you for some time, but I never knew the right moment, but," she looked out to the ocean and then turned back to him, "this is perfect."

He smiled back at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up as his lips captured hers in an intense, yet loving kiss. He felt like he was in a cheesy romance movie, twirling her around on the beach as they kissed, but he didn't care; the past ten weeks had been amazing and it took him almost eight to realize the feelings he had for her was love, and then he spent two weeks trying to figure out just how to tell her. He didn't just want to blurt it out someday at school or tell her at one of their homes, and he realized that morning, after waking up next to her, that the time on the beach would be the perfect moment. It was her first time to the beach, to the west coast and her first trip with him, so he wanted to make sure she had amazing memories from the trip, and he knew this would be a simple, yet romantic way to insure she'd never forget her first time at the ocean.

Noah took the chance and said those three words to her, not expecting her to return them, but when she did, he knew their relationship was growing into something truly special. Even though he'd told her before, it was at that moment he swore he would do _anything_ he could to keep them together, no matter how stressful or dramatic his life as a celebrity got; she would always be a major and special part of his life.

...

A/N4: What do you think? ;) A lot shorter that the last few chapters, but I felt it was best to shorten them back down to 9-12 pages for now so I can get back into the flow of writing. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next up, the premiere. Let me know what you think, don't forget to review, please.

A/N5: Also, for all you new readers and past readers who have gone back and reread the fic, for some reason fan fiction dot net won't let me use my separators that I have always used, so I'm going to go back and fix them to something else that will work.

A/N6: I would like to apologize for it being over two weeks since I last posted. I've had things going on; I got a virus on my laptop and had to save everything onto my external hard drives and format my laptop; thankfully I didn't loose my fic in the process, and then my editor had a family emergency to deal with, so getting the chapters edited to post was not able to happen right away, but finally we're back... My work schedule is going to get extended, which means less time to write. One girl is quitting and another coworker is still out from complications she had from surgery in mid-April, and we don't know if/when she'll come back and my boss won't hire anyone, so the rest of us will get more hours. It's great for some more money, but it sucks because I'll have less time to write, but I promise, I'll be keeping up better and it won't be 2-plus weeks between updates, that much I know. So so sorry that it's been so long.

A/N7: I'm posting this on May 28th, and we just passed Ethan's birthday on the 26th and Deborah's is the 30th, so Happy Birthday to them! :D (I know they're fictional characters, but in my mind they're real) ;)

A/N8: I'd like to say a huge thank you to whoever it was who nominated 'Out of the Blue' and / or 'Starlight' for the Glee Awards; it means so much to me! The nominations are closed and starting soon, the next phase in the nomination process will begin. Each story has to be 'seconded' to go onto the next phase, so keep an eye out on ( community . livejournal . com/ gleeawards/ ) for when you can start this. You will have until June 10th to second a fic, so don't forget to second 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight' so they can continue on!

A/N9: If anyone wants to see what Mark Salling really looked like at 16/17, he had a small part in 'Walker Texas Ranger' and I finally found and downloaded the episodes and screen capped it. I made a mini collage of them that you can see here: ( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com / 28515 . html )

A/N10:

**~Spoilers below~**

What did everyone think about the last few episodes of Glee?

* 'Laryngitis' - Mohawk-less Puck, honestly, so glad it's gone. There is a reason that in all my fics he's shaved it off. I had a friend who had one and it drove me nuts! Mark Salling is hot, but his hotness factor went up when he shaved it off... Just not a huge fan of the 'hawk... 'Lady is a Tramp' ROCKED! I love Big Band jazz music and Mark's voice along with it, WHOHOO! The Puck/Mercedes storyline was interesting, but I thought it was cool. I think the Kurt storyline is a bit much, I understand it, but Kurt needs to relax a bit, too. 'One' - did you all see the Puckleberry moments? :D I screamed when I saw them and woke my dog up and she barked, LOL.

* 'Dream On' - okay, so I watched Doogie Howser, MD when I was a kid and LOVED NPH so to see him in Glee, AWESOME! LOL the flashback; NPH so did not look like that as a teen, lol, but it was good... I didn't know he could sing and him and Will with 'Dream On' great job! I felt bad for Artie in this, but his dance sequence... Kevin can dance! :D Rachel's storyline about her mom... I knew Jesse was up to something and it didn't have to do with ruining their chances against Vocal Adrenaline. I knew when I heard Indina would be in the show and seeing pics of her, I knew they were bringing her in as Rachel's mom.

* 'Theatricality' - Talk about WHOA! I'm not a Lady Gaga fan at all. Never heard her music and chose not to listen to her, but the girls and Kurt did a great job on the song and I like 'Bad Romance' and 'Poker Face'... The guys, especially Mark, dressed up like KISS! OMG! AWESOME! The Tina issue; that was a great plot idea, and did you see her face when Puck suggested 'Catholic school-girl'? Hehe, like she was actually thinking of it. Asian Vampires rock! :D The Quinn/Puck storyline with the baby naming? 'Beth' made me sob like a baby and props to Mark Salling, he did amazing in that scene and every time I just think about the song I cry. I'm glad that the Rachel storyline about her mom is over; that was worrying me (or is it over?). Finn and Kurt living together - wow, that whole scene with Burt, Kurt and Finn, I cried at that, too. Mike O'Malley, awesome job there.

* All in all, the last 3 eps since I posted last were pretty good, and a few storylines might come up in 'Out of the Blue' and possibly 'Starlight' we'll see how things go; there are some that won't work or fit, but some might... ;)

...


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Ethan, Tim and Alex kept an eye on the young couple from a distance, giving them some space, but with their major public display of affection, the three men were all curious just what they had said to each other that brought that on.

"Do you hear that?" Tim asked.

"I don't hear anything," Ethan commented.

Alex smirked, "it sounds like bells to me."

"What are you two talking about?" Ethan looked at the two with smirks on their faces.

"Wedding bells," Tim replied patting Ethan on the shoulder.

Ethan groaned, "don't even joke about that. After finding them in bed this morning, that's not a visual I need, alright?" He begged, a light pink color growing on his cheeks.

"Whoa, what did we miss?" Alex asked curiously, nudging Ethan in the shoulder.

Ethan took a deep breath and gave them a very abridged version of what he found that morning and their discussion.

Tim grinned, "I stand by my previous statement; she'll be your daughter-in-law someday," he commented.

"I don't have a problem with that at all. Rachel is a great girl and I'd be happy to have her in my family," he admitted truthfully, she was already kind of there now. "I know Noah loves her, which I think they just told each other that," he motioned to the two teens still wrapped up together by the water, "but the key word in your statement 'someday'. I don't want them rushing into a relationship. This is the first relationship for both of them and because of the mess a few months back, marriage has already come up and now Rachel is talking about trying to graduate a year early. She says it's not because of their relationship, but it's only come up after they got together, so it's going to be hard to convince anyone that she's not doing it for them. If she doesn't graduate early, he'll be done with school a year before her and they'll be apart for most of that year; you know how crazy his schedule is."

"Oh we know," Alex nodded, "but seriously, Noah's got a good head on his shoulders and from what I've seen of Rachel and what you've told us, she's very mature for her age, so I don't think you need to worry about anything moving too fast. Sure they started off a little quick, but things have mellowed out a lot," he explained, and then patted Ethan on his shoulder, "I say you'll be a grandpa by forty," he added with a grin, "that's four and a half years from now."

"I say at the latest forty-two," Tim added.

Ethan groaned, rubbing his hands over his face, knowing the sun wasn't the reason for his cheeks to feel warm.

...

Since just after ten in the morning, the teens wandered along the beach, enjoying the mini-break from reality and with their three word confession to each other, neither wanted to leave. With each wave that crashed along the shore and then went back out, the emotions and racing hearts from their confession slowly washed away with the tide, bringing them back down to reality and soon they were heading up to where his dad and the guys were, also near where they'd left their shoes.

"So now where are we off to?" Rachel asked, picking up her shoes and batting them together gently to knock some of the sand out of them as they walked over to the guys.

"I don't know. Lunch, I guess, or we could wait a few hours and have an early dinner. What time are we getting picked up?" Noah turned and asked his dad.

"Four-forty-five," Ethan replied.

"So earlier dinner," Noah said looking at his girlfriend, "is there anything you want to do?"

She slipped her arm around his as they walked towards the car, "not really. There are a lot of things we could do, but I don't think we'd have time. I'm up for a relaxing afternoon with you, if you are," she said.

Noah smiled, "I think that sounds like a great idea," he agreed leaning in to press a kiss to her lips as they reached the cement of the parking lot.

Alex and Tim exchanged glances and smirked, patting Ethan on the shoulder, silently continuing to tease him while Rachel and Noah put their shoes on.

Ethan glared at the two men, not wanting to give away that he didn't really mind the teasing; yet at least.

"How about lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe?" Tim suggested as they reached the SUV. "That way we can get back to the hotel so you guys will have plenty of time to get ready."

The teens looked at each other and Noah shrugged, "I'm cool with it, if you want to go," he replied.

"I don't see why not. We do have to eat at some point today and it's the Hard Rock Cafe," she said with a smile, "I'd love to go."

"..._if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it, if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it_..." Rachel's phone began to sing 'Single Ladies' by Beyoncé and Noah only knew one person who she'd have that tone for, so as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, he grabbed it and answered it for her with a grin, "hello, Rachel Berry's assistant, Neil. To whom am I speaking?" He asked in a thick Irish accent.

Rachel's mouth fell open as he not only took her phone, but answered it, and in a totally different voice than she had ever heard.

"It's, um, the Glee Club," Kurt said nervously over the phone, "this is weird."

"Hum, Glee Club? I am not familiar with this person. What kind of name is 'Glee Club'?" Noah questioned in the same accent as they all got into the SUV.

Rachel glared at her boyfriend and he held out his wrist to show her it was just after twelve-thirty in LA, which meant it was just after three-thirty in Lima when Glee would be starting. He held up a 'wait a minute' hand and smirked.

"Glee Club isn't a person, you nitwit, it's a club, a group, named Glee! Who the hell are you? Rachel doesn't have an assistant!" Kurt snapped. "Finn, stop laughing!" Kurt exclaimed.

Noah could faintly hear Finn's laughter in the background so he knew he was on speaker, no doubt while they were all in the choir room. "No need to insult me," the Irish accented Noah replied. "Ms. Berry is currently occupied with her boyfriend at the moment," he winked at Rachel and she blushed, shaking her head, one hand trying to reach for her phone, but he made sure she couldn't get it. "If you give me a message, I will be happy to pass on a message from Mr. Glee Club," he bit his lip to keep from laughing at that.

"Dude... you guys... are too gullible... that's not," Finn was trying to stop laughing, but he couldn't, so he'd get a few words out before he'd start laughing again, "Rachel doesn't have... an assistant... That's... Noah with an Irish accent..."

Noah sighed, "gee thanks Hudson, I was trying to have some fun," Noah laughed hitting the speaker phone button and holding it out to Rachel.

"I apologize for my boyfriend's childish behavior," Rachel glared at him, "he grabbed my phone before I could answer it," she added.

The car filled with laughter from their friends in Lima who were now realizing her assistant had really been Noah, "Noah, can talk with an Irish accent, who knew?" Artie commented.

"It's a family thing. I'm half Irish. Dad and his side of the family are Irish," Noah admitted.

The laughter had died down, but no one had said much yet, until Kurt's voice, clear as day said, "okay that was hot."

Tim swerved the SUV on the highway as he heard that; not expecting that to fill the quiet car.

Noah, totally used to hearing that from many girls and some guys, laughed lightly, "sorry Kurt, I don't play for that team and I'm taken," Noah replied slipping his arm around Rachel's shoulders.

"Oh my God, did I say that out loud?" Kurt gasped. "I'm so sorry, I... I know you're not... I... That was an accident," he groaned.

"Dude, it's cool, chill out. Don't worry about it," Noah said honestly.

"So anyways," Mercedes voice came in, changing the subject, to cover up the awkwardness of the moment, "we were calling to see what you guys were up to," she said.

"We just left the beach and are on our way to the Hard Rock Cafe," Rachel said happily.

"That sounds like so much fun!" Tina exclaimed, "have you guys seen any celebrities yet?"

Noah smirked, "what am I? Chopped liver?"

"You don't count. You're not a celebrity to us anymore," Mercedes replied.

"Aw thanks guys," Noah grinned, "actually, Finn, why don't you show them the picture I sent you last night? That will answer Tina's question."

"The one of you four?" Finn asked.

"Yes, that's the only one I sent," Noah replied.

Finn pulled up the picture message Noah was talking about and stared at it for a moment, "are you sure?"

"Dude, just show them," Noah commented.

"Alright," Finn turned his phone around so everyone could see it.

It didn't take long for all five girls and Kurt to recognize who Noah and Rachel were in the picture with and soon they were all asking questions, giggling and squealing about the Taylors, while the rest tried to remain calm, but were curious what they were like in person.

Rachel's eyes widened, unsure where to even start and Tim, Alex and Ethan were laughing lightly while Noah kissed Rachel's cheek, "guys, chill out," he chuckled, "the Taylors are cool. Taylor Lautner and I are good friends, and we all had dinner together last night. It was only like the second time Taylor Swift and I had seen each other and Rachel spent more time talking to her than I did, but she seems like a nice girl."

"Oh my God, how did I forget about that?" Mercedes asked, "I knew you and Taylor Lautner were friends! I never even thought about it with the movie or anything."

"Don't worry about it, it happens. We don't get to see each other a lot, so there aren't a lot of pictures out there of us hanging out," Noah explained.

Rachel leaned against her boyfriend, glad their friends weren't upset with the events of the night before; she had been worried to send a message to anyone in case they got jealous of their night.

"I saw a few pictures of you two together from the Teen Choice Awards back in August," Tina said.

Mercedes nodded, "yeah, didn't Taylor Lautner present you with one of your awards?"

" 'Choice Album' for my third album," Noah replied, "so I'm sure there were pictures from then," he agreed, "but that was the last time I saw him until last night."

"Congratulations on the award, Noah," Will chimed in, "I feel bad I didn't know about it."

"Thanks Mr. Schue," he replied, unsure if their teacher had been there until now.

"You're welcome," Will commented.

"Hey, since you guys are all here," Noah glanced at his dad, "Sunday is the American Music Awards and I'm not going to be there, but I'm nominated for a few awards, so I was going to invite everyone over to my place to watch the awards with us. You're all invited, you included Mr. Schue. Kind of a Glee party," Noah said.

"What awards are you nominated for?" Rachel asked.

" 'Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist', 'Favorite Pop/Rock Album' and 'Artist of the Year'," Noah replied.

"You know I'll be there," Finn said.

Several others agreed and Noah noticed the familiar streets near the Hard Rock Cafe, "we can talk more about it when we get back to school on Wednesday. We're almost to the Hard Rock so we should probably let you go," Noah admitted.

"We want lots of details!" Mercedes called out.

"And take pictures, Rachel," Tina added.

Rachel giggled, "I will. Taylor said he'd make sure we got to meet the cast, so I promise I will get pictures when I can, but I don't want to be rude," she said.

"Rachel, get pictures. You won't be rude," Kurt said with a laugh.

"He's right, babe," Noah added.

"Okay, I'll take pictures," she agreed. "See you guys on Wednesday. We will be flying most of tomorrow afternoon and won't be back in Lima until about ten-thirty or eleven tomorrow night Ohio time, but we _will_ be at school on Wednesday," she assured them.

With final goodbyes from all their friends and teacher, Rachel closed her phone and returned it to her pocket, "that was an interesting conversation. Why didn't you tell me about the awards or the nominations?" She asked.

He shrugged, "when I got nominated, I didn't want to get overly excited and tell everyone right away, in case I lose and I knew I wasn't going, so I wasn't going to make a big deal about it. I was going to mention it to you this week when we got back, but since we were all on the phone, I figured why not? I think it'd be cool if we all were at the house watching them. I'm usually at the awards, so it'll be a nice change to be at home with my close friends and family around," he smiled, "at least if I do lose, I got you guys to keep me company."

Rachel smiled and kissed him gently, "I'd love to be there with you; win or lose," she added.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, "thanks babe. I love you," he replied gently, unaware of the looks his dad was getting from Tim and Alex.

She kissed him again, smiling brightly, "I love you, too, Noah," Rachel replied settling against him contently, her heart filled with happiness at hearing him tell her that, and warmed up even more when he accepted her saying the words back.

Ethan eyed the teens, now understanding what it was that they had said to each other on the beach. Looking up he saw the smirk on Alex's face and he shrugged smiling at him before relaxing for the last few minutes of the drive until Tim pulled the SUV into the parking garage near the Hard Rock in the Universal CityWalk.

Before getting out of the SUV, Noah turned his ball cap back around so it sat normal on his head, shading some of his face from view.

"What is this place?" Rachel asked as they got out of the car.

"The Universal CityWalk; it's like an open air entertainment center; it has shops, places to eat, clubs, a theater (1)," he explained, "you know, Universal Studios?" Noah responded slipping his arm around her shoulders as they started to walk.

"Yes, it's a production company, right?" Rachel replied.

Noah nodded, "yeah, they have done a lot of movies and TV shows," he said, "The Hard Rock is inside the CityWalk," he added.

Tim and Alex were walking ahead of them while Ethan walked next to Noah, just in case he was recognized. They made their way out of the garage and into the CityWalk. Rachel looked around, seeing the various shops and places that had been mentioned and right in the center of a large area was a white building with a Taj Mahal looking design, a fountain outside with a large guitar on top of it, the Hard Rock Cafe logo on the front of the building above the main doors. She took a few pictures before they went inside and as requested by Tim, they were taken towards the back of the restaurant for a more private table, so Noah took a seat on the end of the table with Rachel next to him, Alex sat next to Rachel, while Ethan sat across from Noah and Tim sat next to him.

Noah settled into the seat and casually glanced around, glad that it wasn't super busy. Picking up a menu, they all sat quietly for a bit reading over the options. A server came by and got their drink orders and left to let them have some more time and when she returned, they gave her their meal choices and returned the menus to her before she left to put their orders into the kitchen. While they waited, they chatted lightly about random things, even after their food got there.

Rachel asked Tim and Alex how they had come to work for Noah and the two guys had slightly different stories, but both had been working for him for four years, since just before Noah's first single came out in December two-thousand-five.

Tim had joined the Marines right out of high school and after six years in, he came home to LA and got a job at a private security (bodyguard) company and worked with them for a few years when they moved him to their New York office. He worked there for another few years before one of Tim's former clients recommended him to Noah's manager; the client knew Elliott was looking for a couple of guys to work directly with a new teen pop star and thought Tim would fit in well with them.

Alex was born and raised in New York and had become a cop at twenty-one and after five years, he was shot in the line of duty, which left him with a lot of time to think, and with a wife and child, he wanted to find another type of job to support his family. His partner's brother-in-law worked as a bodyguard to a client of Noah's manager and recommended Alex to Elliott for a job as a bodyguard to a new teen star. Alex's youth and dedication won him the position, and he and his family were happy because it was a safer and better paying job.

They were the two dedicated to Noah's protection and then during events, there would be other bodyguards, security guards, and police around.

Noah shifted in his seat, as a habit removing his ball cap and running his hand through his hair and while he had his hat off, he heard a loud gasp from across the way, "_cat's out of the bag,_" he thought, his eyes flicking towards the noise, seeing a teen girl with her parents a few tables across the aisle and down from them. He smiled at her and nodded casually, returning to his drink, hoping she'd at least let him finish before she came over. Leaving his hat off, he rested it on his knee, without anywhere else to put it and went back to lunch.

"What was that?" Rachel asked.

He eyed her with a smirk, "seriously? You need to ask?"

The blush crept on her cheeks, "I'm still not used to that," she murmured. "I still don't see you as a celebrity."

He laughed lightly and kissed her cheek, "which is why I love you, babe."

She smiled at him, "is it that hard to find someone to love a celebrity for who they are as a person?" She asked honestly.

"Yes," all four men at the table said in unison.

Their quick response caused her to giggle, but she sobered quickly, "I suppose I do understand why it would be hard, but you're still a person, Noah," she replied.

"Thanks, Rach," Noah smiled sitting back and pushing is plate from him after finishing up. He picked up his glass and took a sip of his soda and as he sat it down, he noticed the girl from earlier and her mom walking towards them; the girl looked to be younger than Rachel, but older than his sister, so there was a big age gap there, but as she came up, he smiled at her, "hello."

"Hi," she waved nervously, "um, I'm sorry to bother you, but, um, do you think I could get my picture taken with you, Puck?" She asked.

"Sure," he nodded with a smile and moved his hat from his knee and set it on the table before standing up and holding his hand out to her, "nice to meet you-"

"Allison," she supplied shaking his hand, "it's really nice to meet you. I'm a huge fan of yours," she admitted.

"Thank you, Allison," he replied, slipping his arm lightly around her shoulders as they both turned to her mom who was standing with the camera.

Being about Rachel's height, Allison put her arm around his waist and the two smiled at her mom who snapped a picture, the flash going off and lighting up the room for a moment. Once it was taken she looked at it and then nodded, "got it."

Noah nodded and turned to Allison, "so Allison, do you go by that or Ally?"

"Both. My parents call me Allison but all my friends call me Ally with a 'y', actually," she replied.

"I know how that goes;" he nodded, "so what's your favorite song of mine?"

"Well, I have a few that I really like, but I think my most favorite one is the one my best friend and I like, 'You Know I Will' on your latest album," she replied, "it's our theme song."

"Did you know I wrote that for me and my best friend?" He asked curiously.

Her eyes widened, "I knew you wrote it, but I didn't know it was for you and your best friend," she replied.

"I've never mentioned it before, so you just got a little Puck secret," he replied with wink.

"Cool!" She smiled, but then sighed, "I really wish I had one of your CDs for you to sign, but they're at home," she admitted.

"I'll do you one better," he tugged a black sharpie from his pocket, something he'd gotten used to carrying, and picked up his red Ohio State University baseball cap from the table and scrawled 'To Ally with love, Puck' and then put it on his head, "you think your mom could take another picture of us?" He asked curiously.

With wide eyes she nodded and looked at her mom who had taken a picture of him signing it and then took one of them standing together, him wearing the hat and then he took it off and gently set it on her head and her mom got one more picture, this time with her wearing it. She turned to him when the picture was taken and took the hat off, "thank you so much, you didn't have to do this, a picture was enough," she admitted with a bright grin.

"I didn't, you're right, but I wanted to," he replied with a smile.

She looked at the hat in her hands and nodded, "thank you," she blushed, and then looked at Rachel, "hi Rachel. Congratulations. You guys look really happy and if he's happy then I'm happy for you guys."

Rachel's eyes widened in shock, but she smiled brightly, "thank you. That really means a lot to hear."

"You're welcome," she nodded at her and then turned back to Noah, "thank you again. It was really nice to meet you. I'll let you get back to your lunch now," she said.

"You're welcome, Ally," he replied. As she walked away she turned back around and waved at him before continuing out of the restaurant with her parents. Once she had left, he slid back into his seat as if nothing had happened and looked around, "what?"

Rachel took his hand and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips, "you gave her your hat. That was very sweet of you," she said, brushing her hand along his cheek.

He smiled at her and shrugged, "thanks. I like giving things to my fans when I can. Usually it's just a signed photo and a picture with them, but this seemed more meaningful. She knew I had been wearing it," he added, reaching up to take her hand from his cheek, lancing their fingers together, "but if it gets a reaction like that from you, I might do that more often," he winked at her before kissing her lips again.

Their server returned to drop their check off and pick up some empty plates and Ethan looked at her apologetically as she came over just as Noah and Rachel had started kissing, but she shrugged and smiled before walking away.

...

After lunch was paid for and they picked up some Hard Rock Cafe souvenirs for friends and family back home, they returned to their SUV and went back to the hotel, arriving just after three. They still had plenty of time; the car was not picking them up until five. Rachel was surprised to find out that Alex and Tim were not going; there would be enough security there that they were not needed, unless they wanted to go to the movie, but neither were interested, so they were going to hang out at the hotel that night and pick them up whenever they called.

Noah and Rachel sat down with their Spanish books for a little while, but by three-thirty, Rachel was in her room showering and getting ready; Kurt and Mercedes had not only helped her find an outfit that was casual, yet dressy, they also gave her pointers on how to manage her hair and make-up and she would need time to get ready.

The closer it got to five, the more Rachel got nervous. The whole day had been unbelievable and a dream come true, and now she, in a way, was making her official debut as Noah's girlfriend; she didn't expect anyone to want her in pictures with him or to be interviewed, but still, she would be there, and it wouldn't take long for people to figure out who she was. She had a vague idea of what the red carpet would entail and knew it wouldn't just be a quick trip, there would be a lot of stopping along the way, but as much as the butterflies grew, she was also excited. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she smiled. She wore a deep blue silk blouse with short sleeves, a pair of blue jeans that fit her in all the right places and then she moved into the bedroom and slipped her feet into a pair of two-inch peep-toe heels. She'd been told she wouldn't need to bring a purse, so she slipped her ID into her back pocket of her jeans, and used her two front pockets for her cell phone and camera.

Finally, after over an hour of getting ready, Rachel stepped into the main area of the suite, to find her boyfriend sitting in jeans, a black t-shirt and skate shoes, reading his Spanish book, while Ethan sat dressed casually, in slacks and a gray polo shirt. "Hey," she said.

Noah turned to look at her and his eyes widened, "wow, babe, you look amazing," he smiled, closing his book and looking her up and down.

She blushed, "thank you. It's okay, right?" She asked softly.

"It's prefect. You look beautiful," he assured her, standing up and resting his hands on her shoulders gently, pressing a loving kiss against her lips and tasting her grape lip gloss. "Tastes like grape," he smiled.

"It is grape," she replied, taking a deep breath, and trying to relax.

He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, "you'll be just fine, and don't worry about anything. Just smile and hopefully you'll enjoy it," he told her. "They are cool, but there are a lot of things going on."

Rachel nodded, "I've seen videos of them before, I can imagine there is a lot of people screaming for your attention so it can be stressful," she replied.

"Exactly," he nodded.

Ethan's phone beeped and he stood up, "our car is here," he said putting his phone into his pocket and grabbing something from the table he was by. "Here are your all access passes. Rachel, you and I need them on now, but Noah won't until we get inside," he handed them each one, a hard plastic tag with the New Moon movie poster on one side with the words 'All Access' on the back, hanging from a black lanyard.

Noah slid his into his pocket and Ethan and Rachel put theirs on as they made a last glance around the room before stepping out into the hallway and putting the 'Do Not Disturb' sign up on the door knob as they headed for the elevator. Getting down to the lobby, Alex and Tim met them and walked them outside to the waiting SUV. The driver opened the door and Ethan got in first, then Rachel and Noah got in last, so he could be the first one out when they got there.

The drive was quiet and Rachel was curious about where they were going, and soon she began seeing the hints; roads were closed off in certain sports, police cars blocking driveways and cops directing traffic until they pulled up to the brightly lit sidewalk outside the theater.

Noah glanced at Rachel and squeezed her hand gently as the door opened and an announcer called out, "and now arriving, Puck!" Screams and cheering started for him and he waved lightly before turning around and holding out his hand to Rachel.

Rachel took his hand and slid out of the SUV, being careful not to step down wrong on shoes she was not familiar wearing yet. Once out of the car, her boyfriend laced his fingers with hers, and she was already amazed at the bright lights and flashing camera bulbs that were pointing in their direction, fans, press and paparazzi all yelling for Noah and also the other celebrities that were at various locations on the carpet still.

In one word, it was chaos. While Noah held her hand, he waved with his other at all the fans and paparazzi that was calling out to him. Noah leaned in and pressed a kiss on Rachel's lips just before he was given the cue to start down the red carpet.

The carpet itself was lined on one side with Fanpires and Twihards, while on the other side, cameras of all shapes, sizes and types were being held by various press outlets, newspapers, magazines and paparazzi, all dying to get pictures of the celebrities and some had microphones and video cameras, hoping for an interview.

Noah paused a few feet later, his back to the fans, while he stood, hands in his pockets as he faced the cameras, staying still for a moment and then would turn his head a slightly different direction to someone else that was calling him.

"Puck look this way." "Puck smile over here." "Puck to your left," were just a few of the things being yelled out.

Rachel and Ethan hung just a few feet away, and he leaned into her, "you can take pictures if you want," Ethan whispered to her.

She looked at him, "are you sure?"

He nodded, "yeah."

Rachel pulled her camera out and snapped a few pictures of her boyfriend where they were and then watched Ethan step over to his son and motion behind him to numerous fans who were holding out books and movie posters to him with pens of all kinds waiting for him.

Noah stepped up to them, taking a pen and signing his name on a book, then did the same to a few others before one of the girls handed off her camera to Ethan who stepped back and Noah and the girl posed for a picture together.

As Rachel stood, watching her boyfriend casually sign autographs, pose for pictures, on top of hearing people calling out 'Puck', she realized that her last name had never been released, "_I need a stage name! If I use Rachel Berry, it wouldn't feel right when I get married to use my maiden name, so I should use Rachel Marie! Yes, I'll use my first and middle name!_"

Marking it a few feet down the carpet, Noah turned back around to the cameras, waving, smiling and nodding as best he could, trying to turn to whoever was calling out to him, while Ethan and Rachel were a few feet away from him, staying out of the pictures.

Going back to the fans for a bit, this continued, but the next time he stopped to pose for pictures, the requests being called out were slightly different... "Puck, is that your girlfriend?" "Puck can we get a picture of you and your girlfriend?" "Puck, is this Rachel?" "Rachel, can we get a picture of you with your boyfriend?"

Rachel's eyes widened as she looked at her boyfriend and Ethan, and he nodded, "if you want," he held out his hand, "I'll take your camera," he added.

She handed it to him and took her boyfriend's waiting hand and he smiled at her, draping his arm around her shoulders, and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "you're in, babe," he whispered.

"I am?" She asked curiously as she slipped her arm around his back and tried to follow what he was doing, her other hand resting at her side.

After a few moments, Noah went back to signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans every few feet, then would pause and he and Rachel would stand together, his arm around her shoulders, her arm around his waist and they'd pose for pictures and sometimes he'd kiss her cheek, or pull her against him for a kiss, which seemed to get all the cameras going, flashes going off more than they had been; lighting the place up even more.

They were about three-quarters of the way down the carpet, and Noah was signing autographs when he heard screams for Taylor and he turned to see him coming from inside the theater and right over to them.

"Hey guys, you made it!" Taylor smiled, giving Rachel a hug while Noah was signing autographs and posing for a picture with a fan.

Rachel nodded, "of course we did, Taylor," she replied as they pulled away.

Taylor nodded and slipped over to stand next to Noah who was posing with someone else and the girl got even more excited when Taylor threw his arm around Noah's shoulders and joined their picture. On top of taking pictures for fans with their cameras, Ethan had been snapping a few pictures here and there of Rachel and Noah on the red carpet, and when the girl got her camera back, he held up his hand, "hold up you two," he motioned for Taylor and Noah to stay together and he snapped a picture of them standing in front of all the fans.

Noah laughed and shook Taylor's hand, pulling him in for a 'guy hug' before pulling away, "how's it going, dude?"

"Great," Taylor replied with a bright smiled.

Taylor, Noah and Rachel turned back to the flashing cameras, posing as they had been before, but now Rachel was sandwiched between Taylor and Noah. They got some more pictures in, then autographs with their fans and a few more stops for pictures before they had finally gotten through the paparazzi and flashing lights, and were now onto where the news stations were set up; MTV News, E! News, Access Hollywood, Extra!, and several others were there, all looking for an interview.

Noah paused for a moment to hug his girlfriend and look at her, "how you doing?" He asked softly so only she could hear.

She nodded at him and leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips, "wonderful," she replied, "I don't think it's quite hit me just what's going on, though."

Ethan tapped him on the shoulder, "they would like some interviews," he said.

Noah pressed a kiss her cheek before stepping away from his dad, Rachel and Taylor and headed up onto the platform where the cameras and interviewers were standing and he greeted the MTV News people first. Their questions along with the ones from Extra and Access Hollywood were ones he'd answered a hundred times, but this time there were a few about him being back home and his plans for a new album. He told them he loved being back home with his friends and family and he had been playing around with some music, he didn't think he'd have anything ready for a few years, because he really wanted to focus on his life at home before he jumped back into the recording studio.

There was one more interview left and he was looking forward to it. Stepping over to the E! News cameras, he was greeted by their host, Ryan Seacrest, "Puck! Good to see you again, it's been a long time," Ryan said holding out his hand.

Noah shook his hand and nodded, "yes, it has been a long time. I think the last time we talked I was here in LA for my concerts," he replied. "Six to eight months ago," he added.

"A lot has happened since then," Ryan agreed, "so you finished up your tour in July, right? What have you been doing since?" He knew, but this lead into other questions Ryan wanted to ask.

"Well, my tour finished up in New York in early-July, so my family came out for a few weeks and then I did the Teen Choice Awards in early-August. Since then I've been back in my hometown, going to high school and spending time with my friends and family," he explained.

"And your girlfriend," Ryan looked towards where Rachel, Ethan and Taylor were standing.

"Yes, and my girlfriend," Noah nodded, a smile on his face.

"I see she's here with you tonight. You think I could meet her?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure," Noah nodded and turned towards them, seeing his girlfriend's back, but his dad saw him motion towards her, so he caught her attention.

Rachel turned around and motioned to herself and when Noah nodded and Ryan waved her over, she climbed up on the platform and walked towards them. As she stepped over to them, she looked at both of them curiously.

"Ryan, this is my girlfriend Rachel. Rachel, this is Ryan Seacrest," Noah motioned between them for introductions.

"It's so good to finally meet you," Ryan said holding out his hand to her.

"Likewise," Rachel smiled, shaking his hand, familiar with him from some of his other work.

"Okay, so you guys have been dating for-"

"Two and a half months," both Noah and Rachel said at the same time, causing them to smile and look at each other as he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

Ryan laughed, "I got that in stereo. How are your friends and family taking your relationship? I know in the entertainment world, we found out about it just out of the blue," he admitted.

Noah nodded, "our friends and family are supportive. It was kind of a shock how things happened, but we worked through it."

Ryan turned to Rachel, "Rachel, how have you dealt with his celebrity?"

She eyed him for a minute, "one step at a time, really. This is all new territory for me," she motioned around to the red carpet, "because back home, he's just one of us, we don't look at him like a celebrity; at least now that the initial shock that he has returned home is over," she replied.

"Oh yeah, we'd like to give a big shout-out to our friends in New Directions and our families back home," Noah grinned, nodding at the camera.

"New Directions? Is that a band?" Ryan asked curiously.

Rachel and Noah smiled at each other, "it's a club we're in at school," Noah replied, hoping Rachel wouldn't go into a long explanation about just what it was.

"Great! I'm really glad you're involved in the clubs at school. I hear you also played on the football team?"

Noah nodded, "yep, wide-receiver. Go Titans!" He smiled.

Ryan laughed, "so in all of this have you had any time to maybe start planning a new album or getting a new single out?"

"Slightly," Noah replied, "I'm a Junior right now and at the moment I'm taking some time for friends and family, but that doesn't mean I'm not into music, I'm just opening my eyes to new ideas. There have been conversations about releasing a new single soon, but with that comes a video and that would have to be worked around my school schedule, so nothing is definite yet. I do plan to work on songs for a new album, but it won't be released until after I graduate in twenty-eleven. School comes first," he explained.

"I commend you for staying in school and being a positive role model for those teens who want to drop out to pursue their dreams as a singer, actor or other celebrity," Ryan said.

"Thank you," Noah nodded at him, turning to the camera, "stay in school, get your high school diploma, then spend the rest of your life being what you want to be," he said, taking a chance to say something he had been saying for a long time.

Ryan smiled, "great advice, Puck," he commented, getting a cue from someone to start winding down the interview, so he changed the subject, "so, you're here for New Moon. Are you guys 'Team Edward' or 'Team Jacob'?"

Rachel said, "Team Edward," just as Noah said, "Team Jacob," and both looked each other and laughed.

"Uh oh, I think this might be your first disagreement," Ryan teased.

"No, I don't think it is. She's free to her own opinion," Noah replied kissing her cheek.

Rachel blushed, "thank you, sweetheart," she said glancing at him.

It was Noah's turn to be embarrassed, "_you just called me 'sweetheart' on live TV and this video will be on YouTube by morning,_" he thought as they shared a look, "_not used to this, but I think I like it._"

"Puck, it was good to see you again. Rachel, great to meet you. Congratulations on your relationship and enjoy the movie," Ryan said.

"You, too, Ryan," Noah said, shaking Ryan's hand.

As Rachel shook Ryan's hand, she smiled at him, "thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you, too, Ryan."

Rachel and Noah turned from the cameras and headed back to Taylor and Ethan and as soon as they reached them, Taylor started laughing, "she calls you 'sweetheart'?" He grinned patting Noah on the shoulder.

Noah looked at his friend, "yes she does," he replied calmly, "there's nothing wrong with calling your mate something special," he added, "like 'Tay-bear'."

Taylor's eyes widened and he sobered from laughing, "how did you...?"

"Taylor called you that last night as we were all leaving," Noah explained slipping his 'All Access' pass around his neck and heading towards the theater doors with his arm around Rachel's shoulders and Taylor and his dad with them.

"Okay, so, anyway," Taylor started, changing the subject to one that was less embarrassing for both of the guys, "those of the cast who are coming are here now, and we've got like an hour before the movie starts, so we've got time."

At Taylor's words, they met up with his parents and little sister. Rachel was introduced to Deborah, his mom, and Makena, his little sister who is the same age as Arin, and soon they were all following Taylor around the theater's lobby, greeting various cast members, chatting with them and getting pictures taken. Taylor's dad, Daniel, took some of the pictures so Ethan could get into some of them; Noah was just as popular with the cast as they were to him and Rachel, so they really had a fun time getting to meet everyone and they even got to meet the author.

"Do you know how long the movie is?" Ethan asked Taylor.

"Two hours almost exactly," he said.

Ethan nodded, "I'll call Tim and Alex and let them know so they can pick us up; we're not going to the after party, right?" He looked at Noah and Rachel at his question.

Noah sighed, "I want to go, but no, I think it's best we don't. I don't want to sleep the whole flight, because I'd like to read over my Spanish homework then."

"Me too," Rachel agreed, "I have not had the time to open up my book much the last few days, and the flight home will be our last opportunity to look at it before we get back to school on Wednesday morning."

With Ethan's answer, he stepped away to make a call to the guys and when he rejoined them, ushers began to show everyone to their seats.

Taylor's family, Taylor, Noah, Rachel and Ethan were all placed together in the same row in the middle of the theater. Daniel sat on the end, his wife next to him and Makena between Deborah and Taylor. Rachel ended up sitting between Taylor and Noah and Ethan sat next to Noah. When the lights went down, cell phones went off and the casual talking that had been going on slowly subsided as the previews began.

As a yellowish-orange full moon appeared on the screen, it slowly started waning to a new moon and the words 'New Moon' were uncovered, the movie began, just as the book had.

Following the progression of the book, Rachel noticed a few things that didn't match the book, but she kept quiet, ignoring the details until later. Seeing Taylor on screen at the beginning of the movie with long black hair, she glanced at him next to her and smiled, seeing another side of him other than what she had met. Shifting lightly in her seat, Rachel leaned her head against her boyfriend's shoulder and he instinctively put his arms around her and kissed her forehead as she settled against him.

With the dramatic turn of events that brought Bella to Jacob, it lead to a scene where Bella was hurt and Jacob took his shirt off to use it to help dab away the blood, which earned some catcalls and whistles from around the quiet theater as it happened. Rachel looked at Taylor who, even in the dark, she could tell was blushing. At this moment, Rachel turned her eyes back to the screen and she realized she'd already seen Taylor with his shirt off longer than she had her own boyfriend, which caused her to bury her head in her boyfriend's chest to hide the blush on her cheeks.

Noah noticed her snuggling against him, which he usually wouldn't mind, but there was an arm rest between them, so he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and rubbed her back gently as the movie continued, curious what was wrong, but she seemed okay after a few moments when she settled back to where she had been, eyes on the screen.

In the movie, when Jacob began to give Bella the cold shoulder and she had no clue why, she went to see him. Again, there was another scene, this time longer, with Jacob in the pouring rain, shirtless, but this time his hair was short and he had a tattoo on his shoulder.

"_This actually feels wrong,_" Rachel thought, trying not to 'stare' at the screen, "_I've seen Taylor shirtless more than I have Noah. This doesn't seem right. Why haven't I seen Noah shirtless? Well, we are taking things slow and I did see his chest when he showed me his piercings, but still,_" she looked at her boyfriend quickly before turning back to try and enjoy the movie, thoughts of her boyfriend, shirtless, playing in her mind.

When Bella figures out the secret that Jacob had been hiding; that he's a wolf, and the reason comes out as to why he and several of the guys started changing, the movie progressed, Alice Cullen returns that opens up a new dramatic issue that brings Bella and Alice to make a trip to Italy to save Edward and when they do finally get back to Forks, the movie ends with a confrontation, where Jacob reminds Edward on a key part of the treaty made many years prior with the Quileute chief and the Cullens. Jacob gets so mad at something Edward says that he changes into a wolf right in front of Edward and Bella and she steps in between the two guys, who are fighting for her. Jacob takes off, leaving Bella and Edward in the woods; all she wants is to become immortal and while most of his family is supportive, Edward doesn't want her to be, but she wants him to be the one to change her, so he makes a request that causes her to gasp and that moment ends the movie.

When the credits began to roll, loud applause filled the room and as the lights came on, the actors from the movie all stood up, bowing and waving to everyone there, thanking them for the support. Taylor hugged his sister, mom and dad as Noah, Rachel and Ethan stood up before he turned to them, "so what did you guys think?" Taylor asked.

"It was amazing," Rachel smiled, giving him a hug, "you really did a wonderful job portraying the character of Jacob Black that Stephanie Meyer created and discussed so well in her novels," she said.

Taylor returned her hug and as they pulled away, he eyed her, "so you liked it?" He asked curiously.

Rachel blushed, "yes, I did," she replied, realizing Taylor was not used to her vocabulary or her detailed comments, like Noah was.

"Cool, thanks," he grinned.

Filing into the aisle, Ethan and Noah both hugged and congratulated Taylor on a job well done in the movie and slowly they moved back into the lobby where the guests were milling about; some already gone while others were waiting for their cars to take them to the after party.

"So I guess it's see you later," Taylor said looking at Noah.

Noah nodded, "yeah, I guess it is. I don't know what kind of time off you've got coming up, but if you want, I'm doing a show at school on the last day before Winter Break. You all would be welcome to come. Lima's not much, but it's home and if you got time, you guys could take a family vacation or something before the holidays and come out and see us," he told them, not missing Rachel's wide eyes.

Taylor grinned looking at his parents, "well, we're spending Christmas in Detroit with our families, so that would be perfect!"

"We're only two hours from Detroit and you guys would be welcome to stay at our house if you came down," Ethan said, "we have the room."

"We'll have to talk details soon, but I think that would be a great idea," Daniel agreed.

Rachel took a deep breath, "okay, first, when were you going to tell me? And second, do you think that's safe?" She asked, "Finn told me what it was like for you last year... If Taylor comes, won't it be the same thing?" Rachel asked concerned.

"Not really," Noah shook his head, "we'll have body guards around. I didn't tell you because Elliott just told dad today to go for it and Figgins is cool with it. It's kind of a thank you to the students for being cool about me being back and I know not everyone has seen me in concert who are fans, so why not? And now that I think about it, with Taylor there, he could sign autographs, too," Noah said, "if you're up for it."

"I'm in," Taylor grinned, "this sounds fun."

Ethan noticed a message on his phone from the guys, "Tim and Alex are waiting for us. We should probably go."

"It was so nice seeing you guys again, and meeting you Rachel," Deborah said giving them each a hug.

"You, too, Mrs. Lautner," Rachel replied as they hugged.

They passed goodbyes around the group and soon Ethan, Rachel and Noah headed towards the SUV that Alex and Tim were leaning against. They greeted the two guys and all climbed into it and once inside and on their way back to their hotel, Tim taking some longer routes, just in case any paparazzi were following them, they chatted a little about the movie and then finalized the morning plans; the two guards would come down to Ethan, Noah and Rachel's room by six-thirty, so they could get on the road to the airport before seven.

They were back at the hotel and in their room by ten, "alright, I'm going to bed, I'm tired. I'm getting up at four. What time do you two want to get up?" Ethan asked rubbing his eyes.

"Like five?" Noah asked.

"Alright, I'll make sure you guys are up," he said moving towards the room he was sleeping in, but paused, turning back to them, "look, tonight is our last night here, so," he motioned between Rachel and Noah, "I went to bed before you guys did and you were up packing before I got up, okay?"

"Thanks dad," Noah replied with a smile, "night."

Rachel quickly caught on to what he was meaning, "good night, Ethan. Thank you."

"Night," he nodded at them and headed into the bedroom.

Noah looked at his girlfriend and pulled her into his arms, kissing her lovingly, "I'm gonna go change, but I'll meet you in your room," he whispered, "unless you'd rather me sleep in my room," he added.

She shook her head as they stood together, "I'd like you to stay again. I can't believe he just... Did he just give us permission?"

"No, but he knows that I'll do what I want, so as far as he's saying, he caught us in bed together and took care of it and knows nothing of us sleeping together tonight, since we went to bed after him and got up before him," he grinned and kissed her again before letting her go, "I'll be back," he whispered.

Rachel nodded and moved into her room and was glad that she'd been keeping most of her things in her suitcase so she wouldn't have a lot of packing to do in the morning. She changed into her pajamas and then went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her hair a little and heard the door close, so she knew Noah had come in and she felt butterflies stir in her stomach. Blushing, she dried her face and moved into the bedroom, seeing him setting his phone on the nightstand next to hers, "Noah?" She said softly, biting her lip.

He turned around, "yeah babe? You okay?"

She moved towards him and wanted to be upfront with him about what she felt, "it felt weird to watch the movie tonight," she said softly.

"Why? I thought you liked it. It was really good," he admitted, "the book is still better, but it's cool to see it played out," he added.

"Yes, I agree, the movie was really good, but I felt... When... Did you notice what I did when Taylor was first shirtless on-screen? I hid my face?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, why did you do that?" He questioned, remembering what she was talking about.

"I felt like I... It felt wrong to be watching another guy walk around shirtless when I haven't seen you without your shirt off and the only glimpse I've had is when you showed me your piercings," she blushed, biting her lip nervously.

Noah smirked and moved towards her, slipping his arms around her, "you felt like you were cheating on me, because he's my friend," he said softly, catching on to what she was saying.

She settled against his chest, but nodded slowly as the blush grew on her cheeks, "yes, that did cross my mind," she whispered.

He pressed a kiss to her cheek and held her close, "babe, it's a movie. Don't worry about it," he murmured, "I get why you feel that way, but Taylor was playing a part just like all the other cast members were. I'm not upset that you saw him with his shirt off; if it was in real life, yeah I'd be pissed, but not when it's a movie."

Nodding, she looked up at him, relaxing at his words, "thank you, Noah," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he motioned to the bed, "come on and get in. If this is the last night we can sleep in bed together, I'm soaking in as many hours I can," he grinned.

She smiled and crawled into the large bed and settled where she had been the night before, "it won't be the same when you're not there, so I agree," she replied, laying on her side, propping herself up on her elbow.

He smirked and made a split-second decision, "you know, just because we're taking things slow, doesn't mean you can't enjoy the view," Noah commented with a grin, tugging his t-shirt off, revealing his six-pack abs, well-toned muscles, the piercings she already knew about and his biceps.

Rachel's eyes widened in shock and gasped; she hadn't expected him to do that, but as he did, her eyes scanned over his chest and arms; she now completely understood the jokes he made about his 'guns'. Her heart raced and she took a few deep breaths, "Noah, I..." She was speechless.

Calmly, he set his shirt on her suitcase and then crawled under the covers with her and laid back, leaning towards her to kiss her, "if this makes you uncomfortable, I can put my shirt back on, but I thought I might help curb your worries about seeing Taylor shirtless and not me," he whispered, brushing a hand along her cheek as he kissed her again.

As they pulled from their kiss, she shook her head, "I'm not uncomfortable at all," she admitted, her eyes roaming over his chest again, "this feels right," she added, shifting closer to him on her side, her hand resting gently against his chest over his heart, "I know we're taking things slow, but this feels like the right next step," she explained softly.

He nodded in agreement and tugged the blankets up over them, "I agree," he smiled, "as long as you're comfortable with this, then so am I," he added, feeling his body react to the gentle touches of her soft skin against his chest.

She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips, "I love you, Noah. Good night," she replied, letting her body relax next to him, her head resting gently against his shoulder, while her hand remained over his heart.

"Night, Rach. I love you, too," he murmured, smiling at her as he slipped his arm around her back and rubbed it gently before letting his head settle into the pillows a little more.

In the past two days, the two teens had taken several steps into a more intimate relationship and they were happily going at their own pace; there is no timeline set in stone as to how fast or slow a couple should go, and they were content with how things were progressing and to them, that is what mattered.

...

**Music mentioned:**

'Single Ladies' by Beyoncé - Kurt's ringtone on Rachel's phone

'You Know I Will' - Lucas Grabeel on the Fox & the Hound 2 soundtrack. It is one of the songs I picked to be on Puck's 3rd album. I will release the track listings soon.

**References (remove spaces):**

1. ( www. citywalkhollywood . com/ )

2. ( http :/ www . hardrock . com / locations / cafes3 / ? LocationID=63 & MIBEnumID=3)

...

A/N4: So what did you guys think? A lot longer than I thought it would be, but hope you guys liked, don't forget to review and let me know! Next up: the return to Lima, the talk with Rachel's dads and I think I'll be able to get the awards in that chapter, too.

A/N5: Puck giving the hat to Allison - I watched Captain Keith (F/V Wizard) do that for one of my friends, Becky, at Catch Con and I knew that was something I wanted 'Puck' to do for a fan at some point. This seemed like the perfect time. :)

A/N6: I chose Ryan Seacrest because he just had Mark Salling and Kevin McHale on his radio show 'On-Air with Ryan Seacrest' back on the 21st of May.

A/N7: New Moon - I did my best to incorporate enough of the movie to give you guys an idea of it, but I also know that there are people out there who haven't seen it, haven't read the books and don't want to, so I was as vague as possible to not spoil it or ruin the chapter for anyone who doesn't want to know.

A/N8: Real life sucks right now; extra money is nice, but the extra hours at work is crap on my free time, but any free time I do have I'm writing; I have so many ideas swimming in my head, I'm already planning chapters for this fic and for Starlight; now if only I could type faster than 70 words per minute, LOL.

A/N9: I'd like to say a huge thank you to whoever it was who nominated 'Out of the Blue' and / or 'Starlight' for the Glee Awards; it means so much to me! As of June 2nd, the 'seconding' process began and will be open until June 11th and voting begins June 12th and runs through June 26th. 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight' are both nominated in the 'Best Work-in-Progress' category as well as the 'Favorite Puck/Rachel' one, so please, stop on by there before the 11th and 'second' them in both categories so they can move on to the voting phase. ( community . livejournal . com/ gleeawards/ )

...


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to my beta, Heather! (Bookgurrrl)

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: Voting is now open for the Glee Awards and will be until June 26th, so don't forget to head on over before then and cast your votes! Both 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight' are nominated in the 'Best Work-in-Progress' category as well as the 'Favorite Puck/Rachel' one competing against some awesome fics and authors who are also friends of mine. The voting entry is here: ( **community . livejournal . com/ gleeawards/ ****4156 . html** ) (remove spaces) You don't have to be an LJ user to vote; you can use email or post to their voting entry. All the instructions on how to vote and where to send your emails are on the link I listed. Thank you to whoever nominated and seconded me. I have never been nominated in anything like this before, so it truly is an honor!

...

Ethan woke up just before his four-am alarm went off and grabbed his phone out of habit, going online to check the status of their flight and it was a good thing he did; their flight had been canceled at two-am. Getting up and gathering their flight information, he called the airline to figure out a new flight and they had two others that day, one an hour earlier at eight-thirty, or one at noon; he opted for the one at eight-thirty, knowing it would be a rushed morning, but with the noon flight, they wouldn't get back to Ohio until eleven at night and with a two hour drive home, there was no way either of the teens would be able to go to school the next day.

After taking a shower, he called his wife at home and told her about the flight change, and she assured him it would be alright; an hour wasn't a big deal and Finn was staying at the house to watch Arin, so things would be alright, even with the time change.

Once their conversation was over, he headed for the room the teens were in. He didn't want to wake them up, but he didn't have a choice; they had an hour less to get ready and would have to hurry to make their flight, so he moved into the room and over to the bed, turning on the light as he reached them. "Noah, Rachel," he said softly resting his hand on his son's shoulder.

Rachel stirred first and opened her eyes, looking at him, "Ethan? What's wrong?" She asked, knowing their alarm hadn't gone off, so they weren't waking up late.

At Rachel moving, Noah opened his eyes to the light and his dad, "dad?"

"Get up guys. Our flight was canceled so I had to reschedule us for a flight an hour earlier," he murmured, "we've gotta leave here by six," he added.

Rachel's eyes widened and Noah sighed, but both sat up, "when did you find out?" Noah asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I checked our flight status when I got up about forty-five minutes ago. I gotta call the guys and let them know so they can check their flight back to New York in case theirs was canceled, too."

Noah grabbed his phone and turned the alarm off and saw it was almost four-thirty, "alright, we're up. Did you call mom yet?"

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with her. Finn is hanging out at the house with Arin tonight, so an hour difference won't be a big deal," he explained. "I was going to order room service, but I think it's best we just stop and get something on the way," he explained.

Noah rubbed his eyes again and tried to focus, but he wasn't awake quite yet, "okay."

"Sorry I had to wake you guys up like this, but I didn't have a choice," he said softly.

"It's okay," Rachel replied, nodding at him.

He returned her nod, "alright. I'm gonna go call the guys."

As Ethan walked out of the room, Noah sighed, "well shit," he muttered.

"We should really get up, Noah. We don't have that much time," Rachel said sadly.

"I know, that's why I said that," he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug and kissed her on her forehead before letting go and shifting out of the blankets and stood up.

Rachel watched him get out of bed, enjoying the view of his bare chest and back, "_he's right. There isn't anything wrong with enjoying the view,_" she thought, smiling as she slid towards the edge of the bed and stood up.

Noah turned around and saw her smile, and he returned it, "like what you see?" He asked casually, slipping his phone into his pocket.

Her cheeks warmed up, but she nodded, "yes, I do, Noah," she replied honestly.

"_Screw morning breath and other things,_" he thought, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her lips, letting his hands brush through her hair. "I'm glad," he whispered as they pulled away. "And this show will rerun on request, too," he winked at her before turning and heading out of the room.

She was stunned for a moment at his final words, the blush on her cheeks getting redder as the meaning sunk in, but she liked it.

...

Noah, Rachel and Ethan managed to be ready just before six and Alex and Tim came to meet them; their flight to New York had not changed, so they would still get to the airport and stay like they had planned; they'd just have an extra hour to hang out.

Going through the room one last time to make sure they didn't forget anything, they checked out of their rooms and loaded up the rental SUV and left the hotel, stopping at the nearest McDonald's on their way to the airport.

Noah was dressed in a black hoodie with the Adidas logo on the front in white; he didn't want to use the OSU hoodie he'd worn to LA because it would ruin his chances of hiding in it again, so he opted for another one he'd brought along.

They dropped off their rental and headed for the doors by their check-in desk, and as soon as he got near them, paparazzi cameras were going off so he waved at them a few times, ignoring the questions they were throwing his direction as he continued to walk inside, taking a spot in line at the ticket counter with his dad, girlfriend, Tim and Alex.

The paparazzi was the only part of the business that he truly hated. He didn't mind photo shoots, but he hated that in certain places, no matter where he went a camera followed, but at this moment, as soon as they got in line, a spot opened up at the ticket counter and the group moved towards it. Ethan, Rachel and Noah got checked in their luggage first and got their boarding passes and then Tim and Alex did for the flight, before the five of them made their way towards the security line.

With a longer line, the paparazzi had a chance to get some more pictures of him and his girlfriend together; he was standing casually with her in front of him, his arms draped around her shoulders, while his chin rested on her head. Knowing they were waiting for something 'big', he made it interesting and shifted a little kissing her cheek and her neck, his lips remaining there for a long moment, hearing clicks from the cameras just feet away.

"Noah, you're going to get in trouble," Rachel murmured, not wanting him to stop, but knew he should, so she turned her head a little to look at him.

"You think I care?" He eyed her, pressing a kiss to her lips, "I don't. I love you and I want the whole world to know," he added softly as they continued through the line.

Rachel blushed and turned in his arms so she could rest her head on his chest, her arms around his waist, "I love you, too," she replied.

When they reached the front of the line, they moved to the next empty counter and Noah passed Rachel's bag to her, since it had been hanging on his shoulder with his bag. It didn't take long for all of them to get through without any issues and once on the other side of the checkpoint, they gathered up their things and moved on.

With security tighter in the airports now-a-days, the paparazzi lost sight of them once they were through security, but with enough people around, Noah still needed a little protection in the busy airport, which is why Alex and Tim's flight was scheduled to leave just after theirs had left; so the two bodyguards could be at the airport at the same time without going through extra paperwork or getting permission for them to escort him to his gate.

Stopping at Starbucks again, they all got extra large coffees and sat down at an empty table in the food court for a bit, but soon made their way towards their gate; arriving just a few minutes before it was going to start boarding.

The original plan was that Ethan, Rachel and Noah would leave Los Angeles at nine-thirty and Tim and Alex would catch a nine-forty-five flight to New York, but with the Ohioans flight rescheduled for an hour earlier, the two men had plenty of time to get to their gate, so they waited with the three and they all said their goodbyes for a few weeks.

As first-class was called to board, Ethan, Noah and Rachel checked in and with waves to the guys, the three walked down the ramp to the plane and found their seats. Rachel took the window seat again and Noah sat between Rachel and Ethan.

"I'm gonna sleep for a few hours," Noah said looking at his dad and then Rachel.

Rachel nodded, "I think that would be wise. As long as we do focus on our Spanish for at least part of the flight."

Noah slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her, "we will, just after a nap," he promised.

...

Once the plane was in the air, Noah and Rachel snuggled up together and drifted off to sleep, hoping to spend at least half of their flight sleeping.

A hour and a half after take-off, the plane landed in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport to refuel and was soon on it's way to Columbus. The drawback to a flight from Los Angeles to Columbus was that it took only eight hours, but because of the time difference of three hours, when the plane lands in Ohio, it will be seven-thirty-pm, making it an 'eleven' hour flight; a long day of travel.

Noah had changed the time zone on his phone from Pacific to Eastern time before he settled in for a nap, so when he woke up and dug his iPhone from his pocket, he saw three-forty-five and knew they were about four hours from Ohio.

Glancing at his dad, he could tell he was asleep with his elbow resting on the armrest and his head leaning against his hand, and ear buds tucked in. Rachel was also asleep against him, so he remained where he was, his free hand brushing through her hair and pushing it behind her ears, enjoying their closeness.

Feeling warmth and soft touches of someone's hand in her hair, Rachel's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head to look up at her boyfriend, "hey," she smiled at him.

He pressed a kiss to her lips, "hey back," he said gently.

"Did you have a good nap?" She asked, shifting her hand from where it was on his chest to her eyes, rubbing them gently.

"Yeah, I did," he nodded kissing her forehead, "how about you?"

"Yes. I was dreaming. That usually tells me I'm sleeping well," she explained, not moving from where she was, leaning against his chest, his arm around her back.

He looked down at her playfully, "really? About what? Or should I ask who was in it? I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

She blushed, a small giggle escaping her lips, "you were in it, but it's nothing I can't continue later," she admitted.

"In your dreams or in real life? Because I'm game for, you know, making your dreams come true," he whispered close to her ear.

Rachel's eyes widened at his words, "Noah, I..." She blushed, unable to figure out just how to respond to that.

He laughed lightly and kissed her again, his hand rubbing her back gently, figuring it was best to change the subject, "so homework?"

Not wanting to move, she nodded, "yes, we should," she sighed lightly, then sat up a little straighter in her seat.

Noah reached forward and grabbed their carry-ons and soon they both had their books out, reading over the chapters their classes were working on and taking notes, also doing the small assignments that were mixed into the chapter, just to have them done for later. When Rachel's hand had paused in taking notes, Noah reached over and wrote 'te quiero, mi novia' on her paper.

She eyed the words he wrote and then looked at him confused, "what does that mean?" She asked.

" 'I love you, my girlfriend'," he responded.

"I love you, too, Noah," she replied not catching on.

He smirked, "it means that, babe. Well, it's one way to say it. I could have said 'te amo' and it would mean the same thing," he explained.

She blushed at her lack of knowledge in the language; she was only in first year Spanish, so he was a year ahead of her, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Don't apologize," he said leaning to kiss her lips, "you haven't learned that yet, but now you know."

"I do," she nodded and smiled at him. "If 'novia' means girlfriend, does 'novio' mean boyfriend?" She asked, "we've learned about the masculine and feminine forms of words," she admitted.

"Yep, it does mean that," he nodded in understanding.

Rachel eyed the words and turned to him, "te quiero, mi novio," she smiled at him.

He kissed her lovingly as his response before the two returned to their work, both with smiles on their faces.

Noah finished his work first and as he put his stuff away, he woke his dad up, but Ethan didn't mind. A little later, Rachel finished her work and they were now about an hour from Ohio. Relaxing in their seats for the last of their flight, Noah was getting more nervous because he realized that the closer they got to Ohio, the sooner he'd have to face her dads; he knew his dad wouldn't let them get out of telling her dads.

As the plane touched down on the tarmac in Columbus and taxied towards the gate, they, along with the rest of the first class passengers got off first and headed towards their baggage claim. All of their phones were beeping as new messages arrived, now that they had service and as they walked, they glanced at their phones, but once they saw Deborah, the put them away to talk to her.

"Welcome home," Deborah greeted with a smile.

Ethan wrapped his arms around her, "good to be home," he murmured kissing her lovingly.

As the parents pulled apart, Noah hugged his mom, "missed you, mom," he said kissing her cheek.

"Missed you, too, Noah," she replied as they hugged and then she pulled away, "you, too, Rachel. Did you have fun?" She asked as she hugged Rachel.

Rachel returned her hug and nodded, "yes, it was amazing," she smiled, "but I missed being home, too."

Once their bags appeared on the conveyer belt, they collected them and the four made their way out to the parking lot where Deborah had parked Noah's SUV, "can I drive home?" Noah asked as they reached it and began to put their bags into the back.

Deborah handed him the keys, "I don't see why not; it is your car."

He took his keys and was thankful she let him; wanting to drive, so he had something else to focus on aside from the upcoming conversation.

Rachel took the passenger seat in the front with Noah, while Ethan and Deborah sat in the back and after making a quick stop at a local fast food place to get something to eat, they were on their way home.

They kept the conversation light, but Deborah could tell there was something they weren't saying, but she knew from her and Ethan's phone conversation the day prior that they wanted to talk to her dads about something, so she knew soon she'd find out what was up.

Once they reached the Lima city limits, Noah was glad to finally be home, but he was still nervous about confronting her dads, so he reached over and took Rachel's hand in his and squeezed it gently.

Rachel smiled at their joined hands, and placed her other hand on top of his, sandwiching his hand between hers. She knew he was nervous and hoped this could at least help reassure him that things would be okay, but in the back of her mind, she was also nervous. Like Ethan, her dads had never been faced with her dating before, so she had no idea how they would react; she just hoped that they would not ground her, forbid her to see him or do something drastic like that.

Pulling up to the Berry's house just before ten, Noah parked along the street, where he usually parked, and as everyone else got out, he stayed in the car for a moment, trying to relax. Sliding out moments later, he helped his dad get Rachel's bags from the back and then the four made their way up to the front door. Rachel opened the door and once she stepped in, she called out, "dad, daddy, I'm home!"

Alan and David emerged from the den where they had been, "welcome home, sweetheart," Alan said walking over to them and hugging her.

David hugged Rachel next, "did you guys have fun?"

Rachel grinned, "it was amazing! Did you see any news about the premiere?"

Alan laughed, "Deborah sent us some YouTube links of interviews and we saw yours with Ryan," he replied.

"It's online already?" She gasped.

Noah laughed, "I'm not surprised," he admitted nervously.

The two fathers looked around, slightly confused as to why the three Puckermans were still there, "um, don't take this the wrong way, but don't you guys want to get home?" David asked curiously.

"Yes," Noah nodded, "that's a great idea! We should go home, I'll drive," he said turning and heading towards the door.

Ethan grabbed the hood of his hoodie and tugged him back, "not so fast, Noah Aaron. You two have explaining to do. You're not getting out of it," Ethan said firmly.

Rachel looked at her dads, "dad, daddy, we have to tell you something," she said softly.

Alan and David exchanged concerned glances, "this sounds like a 'we need to sit down' conversation," Alan said moving into the living room.

"They didn't elope did they?" David asked Ethan seriously.

Ethan laughed, "no."

David sighed in relief as they all moved into the living room and took seats; everyone except Noah, who opted to stand, leaning against the arm of a couch, where Rachel was sitting.

Deborah and Ethan were sitting next to each other and she was just as curious, "what are you hiding?" She asked her husband.

"I didn't hide it. I just felt it wasn't something to be discussed over the phone," Ethan replied, "which is why we're all sitting here and Arin is at home; she doesn't need to hear this."

"Dad caught Rachel and I sleeping together Monday morning," Noah blurted out.

"Noah!" "You didn't what?" "Rachel!"

Rachel quickly jumped in to clarify, "sleeping, as in, asleep in the same bed."

"How did this happen?" David asked with wide eyes.

The two teens quickly went through the same story, the truth, that they had told Ethan, each saying a few sentences before the other would take over.

"I already went through the, 'they are only teenagers and have the rest of their lives to share that' conversation, but I would be a hypocrite if I disciplined them for it," Ethan explained, "Deborah and I were Seniors at McKinley when she got pregnant with Noah and he was born just a few months after we graduated."

"We didn't do anything," Noah said softly, "we just slept in the same bed, and it was great, but neither of us are ready to go that far and we won't be for a long time."

Alan and David, as shocked as they were, gave the teens a chance to talk, trying to come up with something to say. Deborah, much like Ethan, once she heard what happened, agreed with what Ethan had done. They couldn't say much, so the ball was currently in David and Alan's court.

"I also knew I couldn't speak for you two, so I told them they would tell you as soon as we dropped Rachel off," Ethan explained.

"I was not going to hide this from you," Rachel added, "even if he hadn't told us to tell you, I still would have. I will never lie to you or hide anything. I have never before and I don't plan to start, please trust me," she said a little worried at her dads' silence.

"Give Alan and I a few minutes to talk in private," David said getting up.

Alan nodded and got up, following David to the other side of the house.

Noah took his girlfriend's hand and squeezed it, "I'm not going anywhere," he told her.

She smiled up at him, but now she was just as nervous as he was; her dads hardly ever excused themselves to discuss anything in private, so that worried her, "I know. They just never do this and I don't know what to think."

He moved to sit down next to her and pulled her into his arms, "we didn't do anything wrong," he told her, "I'm sure they just want to talk and agree on something before they talk to us," he rubbed her back, "just relax."

"I'm trying," she admitted, then looked up at him, "I love you."

He brushed a hand along her cheek, "I love you, too, Rachel," he replied giving her a loving hug.

"That answers our question," David said as he and Alan returned and retook their seats.

Noah and Rachel jumped apart, not expecting them back so soon, "I, um, -"

Alan held up his hand and shook his head, "let us talk, Noah," he requested softly.

Rachel took her boyfriend's hand in hers, waiting to hear what they had to say.

"We had a feeling that you'd have difficulty sleeping," Alan started, "so for that, Noah, we're glad you were able to help her sleep."

David continued on so the teens couldn't speak up yet, "we also know you know what could happen if you two did go that far, but we trust you, both of you," he told them.

"You two are both very mature for your age and we're aware that teens are not waiting for marriage to have sex, but we believe you when you say you're not ready and won't be for a long time," Alan continued. "We're not going to say you can't, because it's typical psychology, if we tell you not to do something, you're going to do it, just to spite us, and we don't want that."

"We're trusting that you two are telling us the truth and we won't keep an eye on you guys, because thus far you have been honest with us. Your relationship has progressed slowly over the last few months and now hearing that you two have expressed you love for each other, we know that this just isn't a crush or infatuation, there are real feelings here," David explained.

"If the time comes when you two do feel ready, we won't stop you, but we just hope you think about it. Noah, we've gotten to know you pretty well over the past few months and we know you won't do anything to hurt Rachel or force her to do anything she doesn't want to do, so stop looking like you're going to be sick or run," Alan laughed lightly, seeing the expression on Noah's face.

Noah swallowed nervously and nodded, trying to relax, but he couldn't help the worry still in his gut, but he felt a lot better hearing they trusted him and believed he wouldn't hurt her.

"Nothing changes. You guys spend more time around the house than you do in your room and when you are in there, you guys keep the door open, so just keep that up and Noah, you know you're always welcome here. We were also going to mention that this winter, if you two are here and with the weather the way it is around here, you're welcome to stay the night in the guestroom; we don't want you driving around in the snow and ice if you don't have to," David said.

"The same goes for you, Rachel," Ethan said. "I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you on your way home because of the weather," he added.

"Thank you," Rachel nodded at Ethan, "I appreciate that."

Noah nodded in agreement, "I do, too. I don't mind driving in the weather, but I just might take you up on the offer a few times, depending on how bad the winter gets," he explained, relaxing a little as he and Rachel exchanged glances, "um, so you guys aren't going to kill me?" Noah asked.

David, Alan, Ethan and Deborah all laughed lightly, and Alan shook his head, "no, Noah, we're not. We trust you both, but if either of you do something to break that trust, it will be hard to get it back," Alan explained.

"You guys got together kind of quickly and oddly, but have been honest with us from the start and as long as you keep that up, things will be okay," David finished with a smile.

The clock on the mantle dinged on the hour and they realized it was eleven at night. Rachel and Noah had relaxed and were glad her dads were accepting of the news, knowing it could have gone the other way.

"Thank you, guys. You have my word that we will be honest with all of you," Noah said truthfully.

"We will," Rachel agreed squeezing her boyfriend's hand, "thank you for being understanding," she added happily.

Content that the conversation had come to an end, Noah went on to invite David and Alan over Sunday night for the awards and soon the three Puckermans were leaving the house, after Noah and Rachel shared a long goodnight hug and kiss, promising to see each other the next day at school.

...

**Spanish used:**

Te quiero/Te amo, mi novio/novia = I love you, my boyfriend/girlfriend

I took 4 years of Spanish from 8th to 11th grade and then took all 3 classes at my college; I love the language. I won't say I'm fluent in it, but I know enough to get around and have conversations in it.

...

A/N5: What did you guys think? Review and let me know. It is pretty short and I fully intended to put the awards in this chapter, but it wouldn't fit all in this one, so I chose to make it the next chapter.

A/N6: Huge hugs to all! You guys rock! All the story alerts, favorites, and reviews I'm getting mean so much. You do not know how awesome your reviews make me feel, so please keep them coming! I'm getting better at responding to them, but I know I have many I need to respond to, but I will soon.

A/N7: After finding out my schedule for next week, I wanted to post something for you all. Aside from today (Friday) I will have 1 day off in the next 9 days, so I'm not going to have a lot of free time to be writing. We have the big wigs in town and we're short handed by 2 people, but the big wigs will be gone after next week, so I will hopefully go back to a more normal schedule and have more time to write. Writing is the only thing that keeps me sane and without being able to write as much, I've wanted to either pull my hair out or tell everyone at work to fuck off, LOL.

...


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

**Please read:**

A/N4: Voting is full swing for the Glee Awards until Saturday, June 26th. Please head on over and cast your votes for 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight' in the 'Best Work-in-Progress' and 'Favorite Puck/Rachel' categories. The voting entry is here: ( **community . livejournal . com/ gleeawards/ 4156 . html** ) (remove spaces) You don't have to be an LJ user to vote; you can use email or post to their voting entry. All the instructions on how to vote and where to send your emails are on the link I listed.

A/N5: In Chapter 13, Noah said he was up for two American Music Awards, 'Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist' and 'Favorite Pop/Rock Album', but I forgot to add in one more before it was posted. I have fixed it in the chapter for those of you who have just read through it now, but for those of you who read it when it was first posted, he is now up for three: 'Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist', 'Favorite Pop/Rock Album' and 'Artist of the Year'. So sorry for the mix up. I had planned to add that in, but I forgot to put it into the final draft.

A/N6: In this universe, there is no 'American Idol'. Many of the songs I chose for Puck's albums are from contestants/winners of AI and the ones mentioned in this chapter who performed at the awards (Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood); I'm imagining got their start a different way. I'm pretty set on the songs on his albums now, so if a band/group or artist is mentioned in this chapter, and later on you read the track listings of Puck's CDs and their songs are on it, just imagine those songs are not part of the original artist's music.

...

After the Puckermans had left the Berry's, Rachel and her dads went to bed, having stayed up longer than normal, all needing to get up early. Rachel knew she would have to get up extra early to gather up things for school.

She woke to her six-am alarm without even hitting the snooze button. She'd slept well the night before; glad to be back in her own bed, but she did wake once, missing the warmth of her boyfriend next to her.

Bypassing her morning workout routine to shower, unpack and get her things, Rachel left the house just after seven, with her camera in her bag, knowing their friends would want to see pictures and she didn't have enough time to get them put on her computer yet. She knew she was early to school, but she was looking forward to seeing her boyfriend, who she knew would arrive soon.

Walking into McKinley, it was pretty quiet for a Wednesday morning, but there were still students there and as she made her way towards her locker, she was noticing more of them smiling and waving at her. She'd return the greeting with a wave or a smile, acknowledging them at least, but it took her until she reached her locker to realize why; they probably had seen videos or pictures from the premiere. Blushing at the realization, she tried to focus on putting her books away and collect what she needed for her first class.

...

Finn had watched Arin the night before, so he stayed at the Puckerman's and the boys were planning to leave for school at seven, but at six-thirty, Noah still hadn't gotten up yet; he was usually good at getting up, but after they had gotten home the night before, he and Finn stayed up while Noah packed his school bag and talked about the trip and the conversation they had had with Rachel's dads, so it was after midnight before they got to sleep. Finn, having spent many nights at the Puckerman's in the past, had taken over the small guest room next to Noah's room and though it was still used by other family members that visited, it was his room, too; he was welcome there with or without Noah home.

Noah had set his alarm for six-am, but was so tired that he kept hitting the snooze button every time the alarm went off, until he heard his door open and his dad's voice saying, "Noah, it's almost six-forty-five. Get up. You guys are going to be late to school if you don't get out of bed soon."

"Do I have to go?" Noah groaned.

"Well, I don't care if you miss another day of school, but you'll have to deal with your girlfriend if you aren't there today," he said leaving the room with a grin on his face, knowing that would get him up.

With a sigh, Noah pushed himself up, "I promised her I'd go to school today," he murmured to the empty room before getting up the rest of the way and heading into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Being on the road a lot and sometimes not having a lot of time, he learned how to take quick showers and once he was dressed, it was just hitting seven-am.

"Dude, you look beat. I'll drive to school; I'd like to get there in one piece," Finn laughed.

"Morning to you, too, Hudson," Noah muttered.

"Did you sleep that bad?" Finn asked.

Noah plopped down at the island in the kitchen and sighed, "kind of. I mean I love my bed and it's so comfortable, so I don't know why I didn't... oh, yeah I do."

"Rachel?"

He nodded, "yeah. I missed her."

"She probably feels the same way," Finn supplied, getting up from where he was sitting, "come on. It's after seven. We should go."

"Alright," Noah got up and moved into the living room where his sister was watching cartoons and his parents were, too, "we're going. Finn's driving, so I'll catch a ride home from Rachel," he said leaning over the back of the couch to kiss his mom's cheek.

"Have a good day at school. Don't go falling asleep in class," Deborah warned with a smile.

"I'll try not to," Noah replied.

Finn and Noah said their goodbyes and were soon getting their stuff and heading off to school, making a pit-stop at the Starbucks on the way.

...

As soon as Kurt and Mercedes rounded the corner and saw Rachel at her locker, Kurt grinned, "okay, Rachel, spill!" Kurt exclaimed rushing over to her.

Rachel blushed and closed her locker, "we had so much fun, or at least I did. I'm sure Noah did, too, but he's done it so much that it's nothing new for him," she explained.

"Well, what happened? Where are your pictures? Mercedes asked hopeful.

Rachel dug her camera out of her bag, "I didn't have time to get them on my computer or anything before I came to school, but you can scroll through them if you want," she said.

"You show us, it's your camera. Last person's camera I used, I broke, so you should probably do that," Mercedes laughed.

"Alright," Rachel turned her camera on and as she went to the beginning, Tina and Artie joined them, "you guys want to see pictures?" She asked.

"Yes!" Tina grinned brightly, "so, how was it?"

"Amazing," Rachel replied, beginning to explain the trip and show them some of the pictures she'd taken from the airport to their hotel and then to dinner with the Taylors.

Noah and Finn walked towards the group huddled around Rachel and her camera, "morning guys," he said sipping his coffee with one hand and holding Rachel's in the other.

"Good morning, Noah, Finn," Artie replied. "It sounds like you guys had quite the trip," he added.

Noah shrugged, "yeah, I guess. I mean it was cool; got to spend the time with my girlfriend and show her around, but I've done the whole red carpet thing before."

"I could imagine it would seem like just another day for you, huh?" Artie asked.

"Pretty much. I mean, they are fun, and I love signing autographs for fans, but the news people and all the cameras. I can only stand and smile so long before I get bored," he admitted with a laugh.

"...oh and we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and Noah was so sweet to a fan! She recognized him and after she got a picture with him, he signed his baseball cap and gave it to her!" Rachel gushed, unaware that her boyfriend was right there.

"Awww, that's so sweet!" Finn teased, nudging his friend.

"Dude, watch it Hudson or you'll be wearing Rachel's coffee," Noah replied calmly sipping the last of his coffee down.

Rachel whipped around, "Noah! Finn! I didn't hear you guys come up," she said, moving to greet her boyfriend with a kiss.

Noah smiled into the kiss and as they pulled away he handed her her coffee, "good morning and before I forget, do you mind taking me home after school? Finn drove us."

"You went out to his house to get him and then drove to school?" Mercedes asked.

"No, I stayed at his place last night. I watched his sister when his mom went to get them, and when they got home I just crashed there," Finn explained.

"And I got out of bed about fifteen minutes before we wanted to leave, so it wasn't a good idea for me to be driving," Noah finished.

"Of course, I don't mind taking you home," Rachel said sipping on the warm coffee and leaning against her boyfriend's chest, "why did you suggest I take a picture of the 'Ocean Avenue' sign?" Rachel asked, "I just passed it when I was showing them pictures and I remembered you never told me why."

"You've never heard of the song 'Ocean Avenue'?" Finn asked.

"Oh, I have," Tina said.

Artie nodded, "by Yellowcard, right?"

"That's the one," Noah nodded, "that's why I suggested it. It's the name of a song, though the song itself was written about a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida (1) the street name is the same," he admitted with a shrug. "And why are you guys looking at this tiny screen. If you guys wait until Sunday when you're all over at the house, you can show your pictures off on the living room's TV," Noah said looking at her camera.

"I can what?" Rachel asked.

"I can hook my laptop up to the TV in the living room where we'll all be and you can show them then; Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner on the big screen," he pointed out.

"Yes, I'm in!" Kurt said, "when do you want us over, anyway?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know yet. I'll tell you guys tomorrow. I need to find out what time they start and all that," he admitted slipping his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"Do you guys have stairs at your house?" Artie asked.

"Yes, but I know where you're going with that and don't worry about it. Normally Finn and I play games on my TV downstairs, but there isn't much room for more than a few people, so we'll all be upstairs in the living room and that's on the main level of the house," Noah patted Artie on the shoulder, "I got your back, man."

Artie smiled, "thanks. I just wanted to ask."

Matt, Mike, Brittany, Santana and Quinn soon joined the group and down the hallway, a dark haired girl continued to stare at them with disgust, "_one day, Puck, you'll see there are better girls in this school than that freak-of-nature Rachel; like me. I just have to keep quiet and wait for the right moment when Rachel's gone and I'll slowly move into your life and you'll never go back to her,_" she thought moving down the hallway past them on her way to class.

...

Rachel and Noah quickly got back into school without much trouble from missing two days and at Glee on Thursday, they discussed plans for Sunday; the awards at Noah's house. Once things were set in place; who was carpooling with who and when they'd get there, the club ended and Friday and Saturday came and went and soon Sunday was there.

Noah was actually more excited for this awards than any he had been to in the past; this time he'd be surrounded by his family, friends and his girlfriend, getting their support, which meant more to him than the awards themselves; sure, being nominated was wonderful and he was thankful to all his fans and anyone who got him to that point, but winning or loosing didn't matter as much as sharing the day with those he was the closest to.

The teens were carpooling together and since Rachel wanted to be over there earlier than everyone else to spend some more time with her boyfriend, she and her dads would pick up Will at his apartment and they would be at the Puckerman's house around three, while the rest would follow Finn out closer to five, giving everyone a chance to have dinner, see Rachel's pictures and hang out, watch the red carpet pre-show and then start watching the awards at eight which would run until eleven.

As Sunday morning rolled around, Noah knew he should get up, but he was comfortable and just laid in bed for a little longer, but hearing a knock on his door, he rolled to his side and told whoever it was they could come in.

"Morning, Noah!" Arin said pushing his door open, stepping inside his room.

"Hey, sis. What's up?" He asked, noticing she was hiding something behind her back and also glad he had slept in a t-shirt the night before.

She moved across the floor and sat on the edge of his bed next to him and handed him what she had been hiding; a handmade card.

Noah took the card and smiled, seeing on the front was the words, "_To the best brother in the world,_" and a picture of the two of them from when they were in New York, surrounded with red heart stickers and gold stars, with a blue glitter boarder. Opening it up, on the left side was a large generic winning ribbon, and on the right she'd written in, "_good luck tonight and I hope you win, but if you don't, I'll still love you the same and you'll always be my brightest star. Love, Arin,_" and around both the ribbon and her words were more heart stickers, gold stars and blue glitter. "Thank you, Arin," he closed the card and set it next to his bed on the nightstand and then sat up a little more to hug her, "I love you, too."

Arin smiled and hugged him back, "I really mean it."

"I know you do," Noah kissed her cheek before he let her go, "and so do I. I also love the card."

"Cool! Mom helped me make it yesterday when you were at Rachel's," she said standing up. "Mom also said that breakfast is going to be ready in about ten minutes and you have chores to do before your friends get here."

He laughed and nodded, "tell her I'll be down in a few," he said as she got to the door.

She nodded and closed the door, leaving him to get up. Noah picked up the card again and smiled; just like with every brother and sister, they had their arguments and disagreements, but he loved his sister and the detailed handmade card meant more to him then any physical trophy would. The gold stars made him think of Rachel, but he also knew they were for him because Arin always called him her 'star' or her 'bright star', so the gold stars were not just metaphors for his girlfriend; they were also for him, too, but he didn't carry stickers around with him, like she did.

Getting up, he moved to his desk and wrote a note on the back, "Sunday, November 22, 2009, American Music Awards. At home for the first time, watching awards on TV with friends and family." Standing back up, he walked to a large shelf with pictures on it and set it next to one of him and Arin before moving to get dressed, planning to shower later.

...

The day before, Noah skipped out on the grocery store trip to go to Rachel's house for a few hours, when Deborah and Arin went to get things for the party. Deborah only let him go after he promised he'd help put the food together.

After breakfast with the family, Ethan and Noah rearranged the living room; with three large couches, two love seats and then the dinning table's chairs, there was plenty of room for everyone to sit, so Noah headed into the kitchen to help his mom with the food. They were going simple, but had a few hot dishes or salads to put together and by two he ran the trash outside and then went in to take a shower. Changed into clean clothes, he got his laptop hooked up to the TV, so once Rachel got there, he could make sure things worked with her pictures.

Hearing a faint doorbell sound throughout the house, Noah knew the Berrys and Will had arrived, since it was the signal that the front gate had opened. Getting up from where he was sitting, he headed for the front door and pulled it open just as one of her dads' SUVs pulled up and parked along the loop of the driveway. He stepped out of the house and leaned against the railing of the porch waiting for them.

As the four of them climbed out of the SUV, Will closed the door and looked at the house. It wasn't a mansion by any means, but it was larger than a typical Lima house. "Noah!" Rachel grinned as she saw him.

"Hey babe," he smiled, wrapping her up in a hug and kissing her on the lips when she reached him.

Rachel returned the affection and as they pulled away, Noah greeted her dads and Will, "hey guys, thanks for coming. Welcome to my place, Mr. Schue," Noah said.

Will laughed, "thanks, Noah, but since we're out of school you can call me Will," he said.

"Alright, fair enough. Come on in," he turned and with Rachel's hand in his, they all went inside and Noah closed the door behind them, "mi casa es su casa," he added. ('My house is your house' - Spanish)

"You don't have to show off your Spanish, Noah," Rachel huffed playfully.

"Okay, fine, is é mo theach do theach," he smirked. ('My house is your house' - Irish)

"Now he really is showing off," Ethan laughed coming into the foyer where they were still. "Hey guys, Rachel," he greeted them.

"Hey Ethan, nice to see you again," Will said, shaking his hand.

"You too, Will. Twenty years ago, did you really think we'd be here?" He asked curiously.

Will laughed, "nope, I never imagined we'd be here," he agreed.

Noah looked at his dad and Will, "uh, you guys want to share with the rest of the class?"

"He doesn't know?" Will asked.

"Nope," Ethan shook his head, "figured we'd tell them today."

"You guys knew each other in high school," Noah stated; he didn't need to ask; it made sense. He knew that Will had gone to McKinley and so had his parents, he also knew that Will was a Junior when McKinley won Nationals the year after his parents graduated, so they would have been going there at the same time.

"We did," Will nodded, "I would have said something to you last year when you were at McKinley, but by the time I realized you were their son, you were gone and then it just hadn't come up this year. This was one of the reasons why I was glad you joined the club. I guess you could say it's continuing the legacy."

Rachel's eyes widened at the news, "were you guys in the Glee Club?" She asked, picking up on the 'continuing the legacy' comment he had said.

Ethan nodded, motioning upstairs, "Deb's getting out our old yearbooks," he admitted, "I gave up the club my Senior year because I became the captain of the hockey team, but your mom stayed in the whole year, even after she got pregnant with Noah."

Will nodded, "we took second at Nationals that year. Too bad you guys weren't able to stay another year; we won Nationals the next year," Will explained.

"You know, there is more to the house then the foyer," Deborah laughed, coming downstairs with two old Thunderclaps in her hand, surprised to see them all standing there.

Noah held out his hand to her, "can I see?" He asked with a grin.

She opened the one her finger was holding open and then handed it to him, "this is our Junior year," she said, "Will was a Freshman."

Rachel, Noah, David and Alan all looked at the group picture of the Glee Club from the nineteen-ninety to nineteen-ninety-one school year and all four of them saw the same thing, but David was the first one to mention it, "wow, Noah, you look just like your dad."

Ethan smirked, "good looks run in the family," he boasted, kissing his wife as the group finally moved further into the house.

Noah had passed Rachel the book since she has seemed interested in something and as her eyes continued to compare names to faces, she kept hitting a roadblock as she got to Deborah and Ethan. Deborah's last name was listed as Puckerman and Ethan's was Ballard, but that just didn't make sense, "I think they must have made a mistake on your last names," she admitted.

Deborah moved over and looked at the book, "no they didn't," she said.

"When Noah was born we gave him Puckerman because we wanted to raise him Jewish and it went along with her family's Jewish roots. I was converting at the time, so once we got married, I opted to change my last name so it would match her and Noah," Ethan explained.

"Guess we know who wears the pants in the family," Alan teased.

"Ha ha, laugh it up," Ethan smirked, "I'm used to it. As soon as some of the guys at the station found out, I heard it all."

Noah grinned, "still is fun to tease you, though," he admitted, "and it's pretty cool you guys were in the club. I assumed you guys did music of some sort in school, but you never mentioned it."

"We didn't expect music to become as prominent in our lives as it did," Deborah replied.

Arin took that moment to appear; since Noah had hooked up his laptop to the upstairs TV, he was letting her watch TV downstairs. "Hi Rachel!" Arin said going right to her and hugging her.

Rachel returned the hug, "hey Arin, how are you?"

"Good, but your boyfriend's TV is stupid," she commented turning to her brother.

"What is it doing?" Noah asked, "did you break it?"

"I didn't do anything to it. I was just sitting there watching the Disney Channel and all of a sudden a big black box comes up and says something is not hooked up to it and I click cancel and it keeps coming back up," she explained.

"It's allergic to Disney," he said seriously.

"No it's not, I've watched Hannah Montana and High School Musical on there before," she replied.

Noah groaned, "fine, I'll fix it. It's because I didn't change the settings when I unplugged my computer. Will, this is my sister Arin. Arin, this is Mr. Schuester, he's our Spanish teacher and the Glee Club director."

"Hi," Arin waved at him, "nice to meet you."

"You, too, Arin," Will smiled.

"Come on, Will, I'll show you around downstairs and I'll fix the TV for Arin," Noah slipped his arm around his sister's shoulders and guided her downstairs.

Will and Rachel followed and while Noah fixed the TV for his sister, Rachel sat on the couch and Will got a chance to look around at Noah's numerous awards from the past few years.

"So where are you going to put your awards from tonight?" Will asked curiously.

Noah laughed, "if I get any, they'll go by the other," he motioned to the shelf where another AMA was sitting.

"You don't think you'll win? I think you're wrong. You're very talented, you deserve them," Will said honestly.

"Thanks," Noah nodded, handing his sister the remote back and leaning against the couch, "I appreciate that. I'm just trying to keep chill. I've been to so many awards and nominated for many awards, it's easier for me to be numb until I know the results. I'm flattered and extremely happy that I am nominated, but I don't want to get my hopes up and then be kicked in the gut if I don't win," Noah explained. "I do my best, which is all that I can do, and if I win, I win, if I lose, I lose."

"I get that. Now I know why you never respond when everyone is freaking out about competing at Sectionals," Will added.

"Yeah. I'm all for helping out and we all are doing our best; that's all we can do. If the judges see that, we'll win, if not, we won't. Once we perform, it's all up to them," Noah explained.

...

After their conversation, Noah gave Will a quick tour of the studio and the dance room before, the two guys and Rachel headed upstairs; Arin continuing to watch TV.

Will joined the parents in the kitchen and Rachel and Noah went into the living room and sat down on the floor by the coffee table where his computer was sitting, hooked up to the TV. "I didn't know this was possible," Rachel admitted, taking her camera from her bag and handing him the memory card from it and replacing it with a blank one to use for that day.

"Yep," he woke his computer up, "only really since the HD TVs came out. A lot of the newer laptops have the capabilities to hook up to a TV and act as another screen," he turned the TV on with the remote and she looked at the TV in awe as she saw the laptop desktop also displayed on the TV. He smiled and slid her memory card into the slot and once it picked it up, he copied and pasted it into a folder on his computer and then removed the card, "you might want to put that back in your camera or save if somewhere so it doesn't get lost."

Rachel took the card back and slid it into the small pocket on her bag to keep it safe and then leaned against him, "could we go through them and delete the ones that are not good?" She asked.

Noah patted his lap and nodded, "sure can. You can sit in my lap if you want. I don't bite," he winked at her, "much."

She giggled and slid into his lap, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. Once she was settled, she leaned her head against his shoulder, hoping to give him enough room to see as he opened the first picture. "Noah?"

"Yeah babe?" He turned his head a little to look at her.

"Are you even a little bit excited for tonight?" She asked softly.

He slipped his arms around her gently and give her a hug, "of course I am, but you know what the best part about it is if I win?" When she shook her head, he smiled, kissing her lips, "I get a congratulatory hug and kiss from my girlfriend," he explained.

She shifted a little and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him gently, "you'd get a hug and kiss win or lose, but I understand what you mean," she whispered.

"Thanks babe, I love you," he kissed her gently.

"I love you, too," she replied turning back so she could see the screen.

Content with her in his arms, the two went back to flipping through the pictures, deleting ones that hadn't turned out until they were satisfied they liked what was there and Noah found the best one of her and him together and made it his desktop. Closing his laptop for the moment and turning off the TV, he and Rachel got up and joined their parents and teacher for a few moments before the gate was opened, causing the bell to ring, so they knew their friends were there.

Noah and Rachel went outside to greet their friends; Finn, Kurt and Mike's cars all pulling up to the house, finding a place to park. Matt and Mike had been to the Puckerman's before, but everyone else had never seen his house, so while some were amazed at the size, others were just shocked that it seemed more 'normal' than they expected.

Getting inside, Noah kind of showed them around the upstairs and after introductions and greetings were passed around the teens and adults, dinner was served and by five-thirty, everyone was sitting in the living room watching the pictures Rachel had taken in LA flip across the TV.

When they got to the pictures of the Taylors with them, they all were drawn more to them, the girls trying not to be over the top, but a few squeals escaped their lips at the pictures of Taylor Lautner, while Matt said what all the guys were thinking, "man Swift's hot."

As the first picture came up up of them at the beach, Noah paused, "um, I hope you can get the squeals out of your system in the next few weeks because Taylor Lautner will be here like the last few days of school."

"What?" Kurt exclaimed.

"Here in Lima?" Mercedes asked for confirmation.

"Yes," Noah nodded, "he and his family will be spending the holiday in Detroit with other family, so they're coming down for a few days for my concert at school and to visit."

"What concert?" Tina, Will and Quinn asked.

"On the last day of school before Winter Break, Principal Figgins is cutting the classes down so they can all be done before lunch. After lunch, I'll be doing a show in the gym for the school. It's kind of a gift to all of the fans at school and a thank you for putting up with me and for treating me like a normal guy. It's only for the school and after I'll be signing autographs and Taylor is coming down with his family for a few days for a visit and is going to be signing autographs after, too," he explained.

"Does Taylor know about this?" Artie asked curiously.

Noah laughed, "yeah, I asked him when we were in LA."

"You do realize that the weekend before school is out is Sectionals, right?" Mercedes questioned.

"I do," Noah nodded, "and for me it's nothing different than performing at an awards show while doing concerts for my tour. I can handle it; besides, no one is coming to do anything until the middle of that week and I'll do a run through that morning, so now my focus is on us," he assured them.

"Wow, the school is going to flip," Quinn commented.

"You guys are the only ones who know. No one at school will find out until the day before it happens," Noah said, a warning to keep quiet laced in his statement.

"Your secret is safe with us," Matt said.

The others in the room nodded and the conversation was dropped as they went back to looking at the pictures, 'awws' filling the room at the ones of them together at the beach.

"You guys are sickeningly sweet," Kurt commented on the couch between Tina and Mercedes.

"You should see them in person," Ethan muttered. "I was getting teased by Alex and Tim about it and they've got bets on how old I'll be when I become a grandfather. Alex says forty and Tim says forty-two."

"That's like four and a half to six and a half years away," Noah's eyes widened, noticing his girlfriend's face was a deep shade of red.

"I know that and so do they," Ethan replied.

"See, I'm not the only one who wanted to take bets on that," Finn teased.

"Shut it, Hudson," Noah muttered, going back to the pictures, hoping to end that conversation.

It took about twenty minutes to get through the rest of the pictures; all the guys and girls started getting dreamy eyed when one of their favorite New Moon cast members came up in a picture with Noah and Rachel and the couple was talking about the premiere and what it was like. They kept quiet about the specifics of the movie because some of their friends had not gone to see it yet; it had come out Friday so many of them had gone to see it the day before, but a few hadn't had the time.

Turning off his computer and unhooking it from the TV, Noah switched it to regular TV and went to E!; the channel he knew was covering the awards' red carpet interviews. "_...We are live at the Nokia Theater here in sunny Los Angeles, California where tonight we celebrate the nominees of the American Music Awards in categories ranging from country to pop to R&B to contemporary..._" The voice of Ryan Seacrest filled the room, playing host for the pre-show on E!.

Noah and Rachel took more comfortable seats on the couch and relaxed together as they settled in.

Will watched his students interact; talking not only about who and what was going on on TV, but they were actually having honest discussions about music choices and the Glee director part of him began to wonder about other songs they could try that might be different, but really show them as a group. His thoughts were interrupted when Kurt hushed everyone, so he could hear Beyoncé being interviewed.

_"And now we go back to Ryan, who is talking to..." The female interviewer trailed off._

_The screen flashed to Ryan and the Taylors, "I'm here with two of the hottest and probably the busiest young couples around right now, Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift! How are you two doing tonight?"_

_"We're doing great!" Taylor Swift responded with a bright smile._

_Taylor Lautner nodded with a grin, "what she said," he motioned to her._

_"Okay, so Taylor..." Ryan paused when both of them looked at him, "Swift, you're nominated for six awards tonight; obviously winning any one of them would be awesome, but is there one you're really hoping you win?" He asked._

_"Oh wow," she took a deep breath, "you're right, any one of them would be awesome, but I really can't pick one, but my top choices would be either 'Country Album' or 'Pop/Rock Album', and of course, 'Artist of the Year' would be huge," she admitted._

_"I'm presenting 'Artist of the Year' so maybe I'll be reading your name off tonight. You're up against some big names in all categories. In fact, your boyfriend's friend, Puck, is nominated for 'Pop/Rock Album' and 'Artist of the Year', too, so is there any competition between you two or maybe your boyfriend feels like he's in the middle?" Ryan looked at Taylor Lautner._

_He laughed, "you know, when we saw Puck last week, the awards didn't even come up and they are both talented, so I'm rooting for both of them. I'm presenting 'Pop/Rock Album' so it's going to be interesting who I read off," Taylor replied._

Noah pulled his phone out and typed a text message to Taylor, "_would never put you in the middle and no competition here - may the best artist win!_" He wrote and sent it to his friend, curious if he'd get it while they were still talking to Ryan.

_Taylor Swift and Ryan were talking about who she was against in the country category when they noticed Taylor Lautner smiling at something below and the camera panned down to see him holding his cell phone. "What's so funny?" Ryan asked._

_"Not funny," he looked up, "just good to hear what I already knew," Taylor admitted, quickly reading the message._

_"Puck's watching at home, isn't he?" Ryan asked._

_"Yes he is," Lautner replied with a nod._

_"I bet with his girlfriend," Ryan turned to the camera, "hi Puck, Rachel and anyone else who is watching the awards with them in Ohio. Puck, good luck to night!"_

"Hi Ryan!" Several of them said, waving, but knew he couldn't hear or see them.

Noah smirked and typed another message, "_please tell Ryan thanks and we all say hi back!_" He hit send and looked up to the screen, waiting to see if he'd get it before they were done.

_"Best of luck to you tonight, Taylor," Ryan gave her a hug._

_Taylor got Noah's message just as he and Ryan were shaking hands, "Puck says 'thanks and everyone says hi back'." Taylor turned to the camera and waved, "see you soon, New Directions!"_

As the feed went to someone else, Kurt broke the silence with, "oh my God! He's really coming here!"

"I don't make it a habit of lying," Noah commented honestly, a smirk on his face, surprised that the feed had been so accurate that he really could text Taylor and him get them and be able to respond on TV.

Most of the room was stunned and in various states of giddiness for the 'live texts' between Noah and Taylor and also because 'New Directions' was mentioned on TV.

"Ryan remembered me," Rachel said softly, looking at her boyfriend.

Noah smiled and kissed her gently, "I told you you're in," he replied slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him.

Rachel blushed as she settled against her boyfriend, "I know you said that, but I still haven't gotten used to this all yet," she admitted.

"It does take some time," he agreed kissing her gently.

...

The pre-show came to a close, so while some moved to get more food, Noah turned the TV to the channel with the awards on and they all settled in to watch.

Within the first hour, after several performances and awards given, Taylor Swift had won 'Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist' and 'Favorite Country Female Artist'. Carrie Underwood started the next hour with a performance of her current single, 'Cowboy Casanova' and then the nominees for 'Favorite Country Music Album' was read: 'Unstoppable' by Rascal Flatts, 'Fearless' by Taylor Swift and 'The Foundation' by Zac Brown Band. Taylor's album won, which gave her three wins so far.

Daughtry performed 'Life After You', their current single, before they went to a commercial and when they came back, Carrie Underwood walked out on stage, "In the 'Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist' category we have a broad age range, but these three guys are are the best at what they do. One of them had an alter ego of Slim Shady, one was a boyband member in the seventies and the other is most well known for his mohawk and songs about life and who he is as a person... And the nominees are..." She paused as an announcer took over saying each name as a video appeared on the screen of them, "Eminem... Michael Jackson... Puck..."

Noah smiled as the entire room cheered as a clip from his music video played on the screen, but inside he was nervous, "_against Michael Jackson and Eminem? Michael is so gonna get it, I mean, he did just pass away this year,_" he thought.

Carrie came back on the screen holding an envelope, "and the American Music Award for 'Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist' goes to," she paused to pull the card out and smiled, "Puck!"

"Whohoo!" "You won!" "Go Noah!" "Congratulations!"

Rachel pressed a loving kiss to her boyfriend's lips, "you won, Noah!" She grinned.

He hugged her tightly, as he heard the announcer say, "_accepting Puck's award tonight is his friend Taylor Lautner._"

_Taylor walked up to the microphone smiling at everyone, "Puck was unable to be here tonight, but he asked me to send a huge thank you to all of his fans for getting him this far and for the support over the years; he truly appreciates it," he said, "Puck, I'll make sure you get this," he added, holding up the award before he and Carrie walked off the stage._

As soon as his friend walked off the stage, the awards went to a commercial so Noah and Rachel stood up, hugging and kissing one more time, before he moved to his parents and sister and hugged them tightly, walking around the room in a daze, accepting hugs and hand shakes from his friends, teacher, Rachel's dads and Finn's mom. "I can't believe I won. I really thought Michael would win, but this is awesome!" He exclaimed with a bright grin.

Rachel kissed her boyfriend as he sat back down next to her, "you deserve it, Noah. You're an amazing performer."

As he opened his mouth to speak, a howling echoed through the room causing several people to jump, but he laughed, pulling his phone out and saw a picture message from Taylor; the picture was his award, the text with it was, "_congrats dude. Another one to add to your collection. Want me to send it to you or wait until we come in December?_"

"_Send would be better. You know how airlines can be with luggage,_" Noah replied to it.

Taylor's response was, "_good point. Okay, phone going away again. Later man._"

While the next award was given out, Noah showed Rachel the picture from Taylor and she grinned, "I can't wait to see it in person," she admitted.

Noah got up and jogged downstairs, returning a few minutes later with the one he'd won the previous year for 'Breakthrough Artist', beating out Colbie Caillat, the Jonas Brothers and Paramore (2). "It'll look just like this one," he commented handing it to Rachel, "and not to brag, but I beat the damn Jonas Brothers for this," he added with a grin, taking a seat next to her.

Rachel looked at the award, seeing his name engraved on the small plaque at the bottom and smiled, "how did I not know about you?" She whispered, familiar with some of the artists that had been winners that night.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure that out," Noah laughed kissing her.

After another commercial break, two more awards were given out, one of them being to Taylor Swift, who won for 'Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist', beating Beyoncé and Lady Gaga and after Kelly Clarkson performed an acoustic version of 'My Life Would Suck Without You' the awards went to commercial and Noah returned his award to the basement.

Coming back upstairs he headed for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and when he returned, Taylor Lautner was on the screen, "_the nominees for 'Favorite Pop/Rock Album' are truly talented singers and songwriters, pouring their hearts and and souls into the music they write. The albums are..._"

"_ 'The Fame' by Lady Gaga... 'Fearless' by Taylor Swift... 'Who I Am' by Puck..._"

Taylor reappeared on the screen holding the envelope and slid it out, and Noah didn't miss the way Taylor's fingers slipped into a peace sign and Noah's eyes widened, "yes," Noah grinned.

"What?" Rachel turned around, looking at him from where he was standing behind her at the couch.

Noah motioned to the screen as Taylor spoke, "_the American Music Award for 'Favorite Pop/Rock Album' goes to... 'Who I Am' by Puck!_" Taylor called out, a grin on his face. "_Puck couldn't be here tonight, so I'm accepting this on his behalf; I'll make sure he gets his awards. He asked me to thank all his fans and his friends and family who have supported him all along,_" he nodded at the cameras, "_congratulations, man._"

"You won!" Rachel grinned, jumping up and moving around the couch to him, kissing him on the lips as she hugged him, "congratulations, Noah!" She exclaimed.

He nodded, this time being less stunned and more giddy as he returned his girlfriend's hug and kiss and then again, moved around the room, getting congratulatory hugs and handshakes from everyone there, on cloud nine. When some of them began to chant 'speech', Noah laughed, but bowed to everyone as they cheered him on, "thank you guys. This award means more to me than any others because I wrote half the songs on the album. I must be doing something right. Being there," he motioned behind him to the TV, "is so boring and impersonal, but being around all of you guys, my true friends and family, makes this the top awards show experience thus far," he grinned, "and thank you all for accepting me for who I am and not just a celebrity. You guys are true friends," he finished, moving to retake his seat between Rachel and Finn.

Rachel kissed him again, "I'm so proud of you, Noah, I love you." she murmured against his lips.

"I love you, too, babe," he replied, holding her close, "thanks."

The awards were almost over and after Green Day performed '21 Guns', the guys in the room singing along, Ryan Seacrest came up to present the final award of the night; 'Artist of the Year'. Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Puck and Michael Jackson were the nominees.

As the names were called out, Rachel took her boyfriend's hand and squeezed it, supporting him win or lose, and as Taylor Swift was announced as the winner, the whole room sighed, apologizing to Noah for not winning.

"Taylor deserves it," Noah commented, "it's cool. Congrats to her," he said turning off the TV after her acceptance speech.

It was just eleven at night, pretty late for a school night, so as everyone began to get up and move around, Ethan and Deborah came out with bottles of sparkling cider and glasses, "before you guys leave, I think a toast is in order," Ethan said.

Glasses were filled up and passed out to everyone and some weren't sure what to say, but Rachel said, "may your starlight continue to shine bright."

Finn smiled, "to Noah... Our friend, our brother, an extremely talented pop star, a boyfriend and son... While it sucks you're gone a lot, you deserve all the celebrity you've gotten and much much more; you are truly a gifted artist and I'm glad you're able to share it with us."

"What he said," Mike commented, motioning to Finn.

The rest of the room was silent for a moment, stunned at Finn's words, since he was normally not so verbal or detailed with what he said.

"I think Finn said it best," Will admitted holding up his glass.

Glasses clanked together and people downed their drinks before slowly gathering their belongings, knowing it was time to leave. After giving Noah another hug or handshake, they all filed outside and Will went with them, so Rachel and her dads could stay a little longer.

Noah and Rachel walked them out and they promised to see everyone the next day at school and once they were in their cars, the young couple watched the three cars leave the house, Finn in the lead. Once the last car was out of sight, Noah wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, kissing her gently, "I'm so glad you were here tonight," he murmured.

She smiled up at him, "I wouldn't be anywhere else," she assured him, relaxing in his arms.

The two both looked up to the sky at the same moment, taking in the bright stars seen in the late-Fall sky. Even now, Rachel was still amazed at the amazing panoramic view their house had of the vast sky, and just as she thought that, she watched a single star shoot across the sky and heard him whisper, "make a wish."

She closed her eyes, making her wish, like she knew he was and though they would never speak of their wishes, they still hoped one day they'd come true.

Noah smiled and kissed her forehead, holding her close to him. He knew it was late and they'd be leaving soon, but at the moment, he was glad she was there. The night was amazing; he won two of the three awards he'd been nominated for and he got to celebrate his wins with his parents and sister, his girlfriend, her dads, his best friend, his second mom, and all of his close friends from school; the people who mattered the most in his life. Guiding them back towards the warmth of the house, he pressed a kiss to her lips, "I love you," he murmured to her as they stepped inside.

Rachel stood up on her tip toes and kissed his lips, "I love you, too," she replied with a smile.

...

**References and info (remove spaces):**

1. ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ Ocean_Avenue_(song) )

'Ocean Avenue' is a song by Yellowcard. It's really good.

2. ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ American_Music_Awards_of_2008 ) Colbie Caillat, the Jonas Brothers and Paramore were nominated and the Jonas Brothers won, but I just changed that around.

While some of the performances and awards are changed to fit into this universe, the original award listings and information came from: ( en . wikipedia. org/ wiki/ American_Music_Awards_of_2009 )

In glancing over more details of the AMAs, I realized that Taylor Swift was not present at the awards; she was in London and there VIA satellite.

**Performances (remove spaces):**

**Carrie Underwood** 'Cowboy Casanova' on the 2009 AMAs: ( www . youtube . com/ watch?v=x-vALzCZjTs )

**Daughtry** 'Life After You'. This isn't the AMAs, but they really did perform this song, I just couldn't find a good video, so this one works... It was just a week or so prior to the AMAs. ( www . youtube . com/ watch?v=GVnyCbxDh2w )

**Kelly Clarkson** 'My Life Would Suck Without You (Acoustic)'. Kelly did another song at the AMAs, but I found this version of this song and loved it, so I changed it up. ( www . youtube . com/ watch?v=bKL0uHsK_X4 )

**Green Day** '21 Guns' on the 2009 AMAs: ( www . youtube . com/ watch?v=Mxw9X-LuT3E )

...

A/N7: This has been done for a while, but with all the stuff going on at work, I was holding off, but I was able to finish up some things, so I thought, in honor of the fan fic awards still going on, I thought I'd post it today, on my only day off until the June 28th. I hope you enjoyed and please review and let me know what you think. **Next up:** The holiday season begins.

...


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

A couple of days after the awards, the Glee Club was in the auditorium, practicing their songs for Sectionals. They were using part of their lunch break to get a practice in, since they'd miss the next day for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"_...You showed me, when I was young just how to grow. You showed me, everything that I should know. You showed me, just how to walk without your hands. 'Cause, Mom, you always were, the perfect fan..._"

Noah's eyes widened when he recognized his ringtone for his mom and jumped up, rushing to his bag before the lyrics could repeat and grabbed his phone, "hi mom! Everything okay?" He answered quickly.

Deborah laughed, "I almost didn't think you'd pick up. Everything is fine," she assured him, "I just got a call from the post office. They said there was a big package addressed to you there and I was wondering if you could stop and pick it up after school. They're closing early for the holiday tomorrow," she told him, "I think it's your awards," she added.

He grinned, "really?" He paused, thinking, "isn't dad out?"

"He was, but once he found everything on mine and Carole's list for dinner tomorrow night, he went home because it was busy out."

Noah smirked, "alright, I can stop and get it. I don't want those sitting at the post office all weekend, anyway."

"That's what I thought," Deborah admitted, "and could you also get Arin after school? We're a little busy in the office right now, so I'm gonna get out late and I don't want her waiting around for me."

"Yeah, I can. What's the weather look like out there?" He asked, "we're in the auditorium."

"You haven't heard?" She smiled, "looks like we'll have a lot of snow by morning, it started snowing about twenty minutes ago. That's kind of why I want you to get Arin and the package, because once I get off work, I want to get home," she admitted.

"Really? Are things still set for-"

"David assured me come a blizzard or a flood, they will be over, so you can tell Rachel not to panic," she promised, "and you know Carole and Finn are coming and staying the night tonight and tomorrow, so we'll be fine. I told David that he, Alan and Rachel are welcome to stay the night tomorrow, so they don't have to go home after dark. I'm sure Rachel will want them to take the offer."

"She will," he smirked, "okay, I'll get Arin and the package. Be careful driving home," he told her.

"I will. You too. Don't go staying at Rachel's for very long, when it gets dark, it'll be a mess," she warned him, "I love you, see you in a few hours."

"Love you, too, mom," he replied, hanging up his phone and putting it back into his bag.

"Aw, someone's a mama's boy," Matt teased, nudging him when he joined the guys again.

"Dude, I always have been. I love my mom," he admitted with a smile.

"What kind of ringtone was that?" Mercedes asked, "it sounded like a boyband."

"It is," he replied, shrugging, "it's 'The Perfect Fan' by the Backstreet Boys. I sang it to her this year at Mother's Day."

"You should have seen the waterworks," Finn laughed, patting his friend on the back, "I've never seen Deborah cry that much."

"I have never heard that song," Rachel said, "is it something on one of their albums?"

"Yeah, it's on their second or third one. I think I was about eight when it came out, but now it's perfect for us," he admitted.

Rachel nodded, slipping an arm around his waist, "I see. I will look it up. Is everything alright? It's unusual for her to call during school."

"Alright, yes," he nodded, "but she got a call from the post office. They have a big package for me, so I need to pick it up after school and get Arin. It started snowing a little while ago so once the temperature drops, it'll probably continue through the night," he saw the worry flash across Rachel's face, "and your dad promised no matter what, you guys will still be coming over tomorrow."

"Really?" Rachel sighed in relief and nodded, relaxing against her boyfriend, "it's really snowing?"

"I guess, we've been in here for almost an hour, so I don't know, but that's what mom said," he replied.

"You guys can go find out," Will said looking around, "lunch is almost over, so why don't you gather up your things and head out. I think we did well today, so we can pick up on Monday. For those of you who I won't see again until after the holiday, I hope you have a good one, for those of you who still have class with me, I'll see you later," he called out.

As Will finished speaking, the bell to end lunch rang overhead, so everyone rushed to collect their bags, calling out 'Happy Thanksgiving', in case they didn't see them after school.

Noah, Rachel, Finn and Quinn were the last ones out of the auditorium and as they stepped into the busy hallway, everyone was drawn to the windows, watching the snow falling. The grass outside was just starting to build up with pristine white snow and the parking lot they could see still looked bare, but some of the cars were starting to get a light dusting on it. "I hope we can make it," Rachel murmured.

"You will," Noah kissed her forehead as he guided them down the hallway towards her next class, just a few rooms down from his, "don't worry about it. I know how to drive in the snow and if I have to go get you guys myself, I will," he told her with a smile.

Rachel blushed lightly, but nodded, "I know you would," she replied, "but what about Finn and his mom? Are they going to be able to make it?"

"Finn and Carole are coming over tonight and staying until Friday. Mom and Carole wanna get going on dinner as soon as they can," he explained, "and mom offered to let you guys stay over tomorrow night if your dads don't want to drive home in the dark, and it'd be nice to have you around," he grinned.

"I'll see what they say," she smiled, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips, "see you after class."

"You will," he kissed her again and gave her a hug before letting her walk away and into her class.

Leaning against the wall, Crystal Sanchez, shook her head and brushed her hand through her dark hair, "_one day, Puck, one day,_" she pushed off the wall and moved to her own classroom.

Smiling, Noah continued down the hallway to Mr. Schuester's room and walked in, taking his seat next to Finn.

"Quinn's pissed at me," Finn muttered looking at Noah.

"Why?" Noah asked as he dug his book out of his bag.

"Because I won't spend Thanksgiving with her and her family," he replied.

Noah raised an eyebrow at him, "I thought she and her parents were going to go spend Thanksgiving with her sister's family."

"They are, but Quinn wanted me to come with her and I refused to go. Not only that, she doesn't understand that I spend Thanksgiving with my family; as in my mom, your parents, you and your sister. She doesn't get how close we are apparently," he explained.

"So she's making you choose between her and your family?" Noah asked.

"No," Finn paused, "well, yeah I guess she is."

Noah took a deep breath and sat back in his seat, "look, you need to tell her to back off. Your life doesn't revolve around her, no matter how much she wants it to. If she's not willing to accept that you have family to spend the holidays with, then is she really the right girl for you? A true girlfriend wouldn't make you choose," Noah explained, "would you want her to spend it with us, instead of her family?"

"No," Finn shook her head, "she should spend it with her family."

"Exactly, so you need to tell her this," Noah said honestly, "and make her listen. I know you won't like hearing this, but you've been going down hill since school started. You're miserable. It seems like all you and her do is argue and bicker. Break up with her, man. Stand up to her, do something, you can't let her ruin your life and it's not far from it now," Noah told him patting his brother on the shoulder.

...

"Noah," Finn looked at him as the bell rang to end Spanish, "you're right."

Noah eyed him for a moment and nodded, "look, I'm all for spending time with the girlfriend, but when you're with her, you're kind of different and not in a good way. It shouldn't be like that. Do what you gotta do; I'll always have your back," he told him as they walked out of class.

"I know, thanks. Me too, you know, I'll always have your back, too," Finn replied.

"Yeah, I know," Noah replied shaking Finn's hand as they walked towards their lockers, greeting Matt and Mike when they got there.

Noah put his Spanish things away and grabbed his stuff for his math and science class, saying 'bye' to the guys as he closed his locker and headed down the hallway to meet his girlfriend.

"Hey beautiful," Noah said walking up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist from behind as she dug through her locker.

Rachel jumped, but grinned, continuing to focus on what she had been doing, "careful, my boyfriend might not appreciate you doing this," she murmured as she slipped her math book into her bag.

"Your boyfriend, hmm?" He leaned down, "he probably wouldn't like me doing this, either," he pressed a kiss to her neck, his teeth gently grazing her skin before pulling away to whisper in her ear, "guess it's a good thing I'm your boyfriend, huh?"

She gasped lightly at the kiss and nodded, focusing enough to close her locker before she sunk back against him for a moment, "yes, it is a very good thing, Noah," she agreed, turning around to face him. He was still bent over slightly, so she pressed a kiss to his lips, and slipped her arms around his waist.

"Would you two get a room?" Kurt groaned, opening his locker, "seriously, you guys get even more sickeningly sweet every day," he laughed.

"Oh, hush up, Kurt, you're just jealous because you don't have a boyfriend," Tina swatted him on the shoulder.

Kurt sighed, "yes, well, I have my eye on someone, but I doubt he'll ever see me that way."

"Who is it?" Rachel asked curiously.

"I'd rather not say anything right now," Kurt replied.

"Come on, Kurt, we won't say anything, who?" Tina attempted.

"Don't push him, if he doesn't want to say anything, he doesn't have to," Noah said.

"Thank you, Noah," Kurt responded.

Noah nodded at him, "welcome."

"We should go before we're late to class," Rachel said, adjusting her bag over her shoulder.

Agreeing that it was time to get to class, Rachel and Noah walked towards the math class they shared and took their seats in the back, having a view outside from the window nearby. "It is starting to stick more," Rachel murmured.

"I know," Noah replied sitting back, "it'll be fine," he assured her.

Rachel relaxed a little and once their teacher started class, it was easy to tell no one there, including their teacher, wanted to be there, so after their homework was graded and turned in, he vaguely went over the new assignment and told them what was due for the next week and gave them the last twenty minutes of class to do whatever.

"Are you sure you don't want us to bring anything over?" Rachel asked her boyfriend, once her book was put away.

"I'm sure," Noah said, "mom and Carole go all out on Thanksgiving. It's usually the only holiday we're together," he explained.

"Why... Oh, because Finn's not Jewish," Rachel said.

"Yeah," he nodded, "they do the Christmas thing and we haven't celebrated Christmas in a long ass time," he admitted. "We did up until Arin was born and until she turned like five, but after I got famous we picked Hanukkah as the Holiday we'd celebrate and dad and I would come home for the week of it," he explained.

Rachel's eyes widened, "we don't celebrate Christmas either," she replied, surprised she was just finding out, "we used to because dad isn't Jewish, but after a while, we just started celebrating Hanukkah," she explained.

He smiled, "I know. Your dad mentioned it," he said.

"Oh, alright, do you guys do big things every night, or just a few nights of it?" She asked.

"Not really, the first night we do, then the last night, but this year, we won't be able to. The first night we will, but the second night we'll be in Columbus for Sectionals and won't get home until late and the last few days of it my friend and his family will be here, so I'm thinking sometime before they get here we'll do our big meal and celebration," he told her.

"Maybe one night our families can celebrate together," Rachel said softly.

"I'm sure we will," he replied, leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips, "I know I want to."

The bell rang to end class, so the two stood up and joined hands, filing out of class with their bags over their shoulders. They met up with Mercedes and Kurt in the hall and walked with them to the same science class and once inside, took their seats, but their attention was to the snow that was still falling.

Class started like it always did and after a lecture, their teacher decided not to give homework for the break, so let the teens spend the rest of class talking.

When the final bell rang, ending classes for the long weekend, everyone gathered their things and began to rush out of classrooms, heading for their lockers. Out of the six Glee members in the science class, Noah and Mike were the only calm ones. Mercedes, Kurt, Rachel, and Brittany were all nervous about the drive home. With Rachel, Mercedes and Kurt's lockers in the same section, the six paused there, and soon the rest of the club had joined them.

"I have to go, guys," Artie said, "my dad is already here, so happy Thanksgiving to everyone," he explained, closing his locker once his books were collected.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Artie," they all said, waving at him as he kissed Tina and then headed down the hallway towards the exit.

"I'm ready," Rachel said looking at Noah.

Noah nodded, "I just have to stop at my locker and I will be, too," he explained.

Kurt and Mercedes were the next to leave, he always picked up Mercedes, so after 'Happy Thanksgiving' was exchanged between the friends, the two left the group and the rest made their way down the hallway towards the Cheerios and football player's lockers.

Rachel and Tina stood and chatted while the others dug through their lockers and once Matt had his things, he said waved at everyone and headed out, wanting to get home as soon as he could, and Santana followed right behind him for the same reason.

Tina, being Mike's sister, and Brittany were going in Mike's car and they were dropping Brittany off at her place before they went home, so they were the next to leave, bringing the group down to Noah, Rachel, Finn and Quinn.

"I'll see you in a few hours, Noah. We'll be over as soon as mom gets home and we get our stuff," Finn said throwing his bag over his shoulder.

Noah nodded, "alright, drive careful guys," he replied, looking at him and Quinn before he threw on his Letterman's jacket and slipped his bag onto his shoulder.

"I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving, Quinn," Rachel said politely.

"Um, thanks. You too," Quinn nodded at her, "see you next week."

Rachel nodded and looped her arm around her boyfriend's and the two waved 'goodbye' after Finn and Noah shared a silent conversation with their eyes, leaving Quinn and Finn standing in the hallway as Rachel and Noah walked outside, the snow continuing to fall.

Reaching his SUV, Noah helped her in and then wiped off some of the snow from the windows before he climbed in and started it, turning the heater on right away to warm it up. "My sister gets out of school at three-thirty, so we can go to the post office first, then go get her. After that I'll take you home," he told her, "is that okay?"

"Of course," Rachel nodded, "as long as you are okay to drive in this."

"I am," he assured her.

Carefully backing out of his space, he made his way out of the parking lot, just like other students were and once he was on the main road, it wasn't as bad, but the snow was beginning to pile up, so he took his time and they made the normally ten minute drive in fifteen. Parking in an empty space, he left the SUV running, a d headed into the post office, casually standing in line behind an older couple.

Once it was his turn, he told them what he was there for and the woman went into the back and returned with a large box, about two-feet-square, "it's awfully light, but the box was too big to deliver," she admitted.

"Yeah it looks like," he agreed, "thanks. Happy Thanksgiving," he told her picking up the box.

She smiled at him, "you, too, Noah. Welcome home."

"Thank you," he replied, a smile on his face as he turned and headed towards the exit. Getting outside, he went right to his SUV and put the box in the backseat before climbing back into the driver's seat, shaking a little and holding his hands to the heater for a moment to warm up.

"...it's not too bad out yet, dad. We're at the post office and the roads look pretty good. Well it is starting to get slushy, but I think once it gets colder tonight it will get worse... Really?" Rachel grinned, "I'd love that... Noah's back, so I'll let you go... See you soon," she finished.

Noah knew she was talking to Alan, the lawyer, "everything alright?"

"Yes," she nodded, "he just wanted to make sure we were alright driving around and to let him know what the roads were like."

"Roads are just fine," Noah smiled, pulling back out onto the road and headed for the elementary school where his sister goes, close to McKinley, and they reached it a few minutes after three-thirty.

Since the school had just gotten out, hundreds of kids from fifth grade and below were running around, some piling on school buses, while others were meeting with friends or siblings to walk home and others were piling into their parents' cars. Glancing around, Noah parked his SUV along the sidewalk a little away from where he saw his sister standing, in a group of her friends, "um, do you..." he rubbed his neck nervously, "could you, um, go get her?"

Rachel turned to him, "um, sure, but why me?"

"I... This is the first time I've picked her up this school year, and I don't think now is a good time for every girl here to recognize me," he explained.

"Oh!" She gasped, "I didn't even think of that. Alright, I'll go get her," she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips before pushing the door open and slipping out, getting her footing on the snow covered sidewalk. Walking towards Arin and her friends, she called out her name and got her attention about halfway towards her.

Hearing her name, Arin turned to see Rachel, and then looked slightly past her to see her brother's SUV, so she said 'bye' to her friends and headed towards Rachel, "hey Rachel! It's snowing!" She grinned, hugging her.

"I know, I see that," Rachel laughed, returning Arin's hug.

"Is mom and dad okay?" Arin asked concerned as they moved towards Noah's SUV.

"They are just fine," she said. "I'm not for sure on the reason, but you can ask Noah," she admitted as they both climbed into his SUV, Arin behind Rachel's seat.

"Hey sis," Noah said, turning to look at her.

"Hey, Noah. Where's mom? She usually gets me from school."

"She's busy at the hospital, so she didn't want you waiting around for her in the weather, so here we are," he motioned around the SUV, "and we stopped at the post office to get that," he pointed next to her to the package on the seat.

Arin looked over at it, "what's in it?"

"My awards; that's Taylor's address in LA," Noah said pointing towards where the return address label was.

"Cool! Can we open it now?" She asked with a grin.

Noah laughed, "let's wait until we get to Rachel's house before we do that," he suggested.

Once Rachel and Arin were buckled in, Noah headed out of the pick-up area and in a few minutes they were on their way to Rachel's house. Noah could feel the road getting slick and he sighed as he pulled up in front of Rachel's house, "babe, I hate to do this, but we're gonna go home," Noah said, "it's getting slick out."

Rachel turned to him, "it's okay, I understand. I'll actually see you in a few hours," she admitted, "that's what dad and I were talking about. He, daddy and your mom talked after you and your mom did and we're going to go over there tonight and stay like Finn and Carole are," she admitted, "that way we're all there. I just hope I'm not intruding on your guy time with Finn," she added.

He smirked, "no, you're not," he assured her, "we'll probably play XBox, so you're welcome to hang out with us."

Arin leaned forward, "you can always watch movies or TV with me. Their games are boring. You can only shoot the same bad guy so many times," she said.

Noah smirked, "hey now, we play racing games, sometimes, too," he defended.

Rachel giggled, "I guess I'll have to see. I may take you up on that movie offer. Would you like me to bring over some of my favorites?" Rachel asked.

"Sure!" Arin smiled.

Noah made sure the breaks were on and it was in park, "I'll walk you up to your door," he said turning to his sister, "I'll leave it on so you can have the heater. I won't be long."

Arin nodded, "okay. See you later, Rachel."

Opening his door, Noah jogged around the front and helped Rachel out, since it was a little higher up and he didn't want her to slip. Once her feet were on the ground, she dug her keys out of her bag as he closed the door. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, they walked up towards her house, the untouched path having a few inches on it and the grass faintly showing through the snow, but it was definitely picking up, "I look forward to you staying over," he smiled, "my bed's open for reservation," he winked at her.

Rachel blushed, "Noah, as much as I'd love that, I don't think our parents would allow it," she admitted tapping her shoes off as they climbed the stairs to her front door, "dad said he should be home soon and then daddy, whenever he gets off, so hopefully we'll be there soon."

"Let me know when you leave," he told her, wrapping his arms around her, "I'll let you get inside," he said kissing her lips, "love you."

"Love you, too. See you in a few hours," she assured him, returning his hug, before pulling away to unlock the door.

Noah waited until she was inside before he turned and headed down the steps. Glancing back, he waved at her and smiled as he continued to his SUV, getting inside and warming up a moment before pulling out his cell phone. "I'm gonna call mom before we go," he told Arin.

With the engine idling, Noah called her and waited for her to pick up. When she did, he told her that they were leaving Rachel's and the roads were starting to get slick so to be careful on her way home and after a quick discussion, he hung up and pulled away from Rachel's house, heading home.

"Can we listen to some music?" Arin asked.

"Not right now," Noah said, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Why not?" She sighed, "you always have it on."

"I know, but right now I need to concentrate on driving and I can't with the radio on," he told her, handing her his iPhone, "my earphones are in the small pocket on the side of my bag, you can listen to this if you want."

"I can?" She took his phone and then grabbed his bag and found the blue ear buds where he said they were.

"Just don't go reading my messages," he warned.

"I won't," she promised.

Noah settled back into driving, both hands remaining on the steering wheel. He kept an eye out for cars, but once he was on the road home, there was less and less traffic. As it got darker out, he flipped his lights on and the smaller snow flakes, seemed to get bigger in the bright light, but he kept calm and with the wipers on high, he continued on, going about ten under the speed limit.

At four-thirty, he finally pulled up to their gate and opened it from the opener on his visor and headed up the driveway, opening his side of the garage and drove right in, noticing Finn's car was parked along the loop.

Arin took out his ear buds and returned his phone, "thanks, Noah. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a nervous drive. I'll be better once mom, Rachel and her dads get here," he said as they slid out.

"How long was mom staying at work?" She asked.

"I don't know. She didn't say," he admitted, pulling his bag and the package from the backseat.

Closing the doors, he and Arin headed for the door into the house. As she pushed it open, he turned and hit the garage button and the door began to close, and then used his keys to lock his car before following his sister into the laundry room and then the house, "Arin and I are home," Noah called out.

Ethan rushed over and wrapped his arms around them once they'd set their things down, "_okay, this is weird,_" Noah thought patting his dad on his back. "Uh, hi dad."

"Thank God you guys are home," he murmured, ignoring the awkward moment between him and Noah.

"Yeah, we're home," Noah raised a curious eyebrow at his dad, "are you okay?"

Ethan glared at Noah and reached forward, slapping him on the back of the head, "why didn't you call me? I had to find out from your mom that you guys weren't dead! What the hell is the point to having a phone if you're not going to answer it!"

Noah's eyes widened, now realizing what caused the awkward moment; he was worried. "Arin had my phone," he said pulling it out from his pocket, "did dad call and you not answer it?" Noah asked her.

"No, it never came up," she shook her head, "I was listening to music and playing that jewel game. If I had seen dad call, I would have answered it," she said honestly.

"I'm sorry dad," Noah said truthfully, "I called mom because she has to drive home, I didn't think I should call to let you know, too."

Ethan nodded, pressing the bridge of his nose for a moment, "it's alright. You guys are home safe, that's what is important. I was worried about you, though. Just promise me next time you'll call both of us if we're not both home or somewhere together," he begged.

"I promise," Noah replied, patting his dad on the shoulder.

"Yeah, promise, dad, I'll remind, Noah, too," Arin said hugging him again.

Ethan hugged her and refused to let her go for a moment, "mom should be home soon. They finally got out of the hospital, so she's on her way. Hopefully Alan, David and Rachel will be here in a few hours, too," he added.

"Me too," Noah nodded, "are you sure it's a good idea for them to be coming this late?"

"It's supposed to continue all night, so the roads could be impassable tomorrow if we get what they're predicting," Ethan said, "which is at least a foot."

...

Noah left the package from Taylor on the couch in the living room and took his backpack up to his room before returning to sit down and watch the news, which was covering the 'Thanksgiving Storm 2009'.

When the bell rang in the house, signaling the gate was opening, they knew it was Deborah, so they continued to watch TV, until the inside door to the house opened and Arin got up and ran to greet her, "hi mom!" Arin threw her arms around her mom's waist.

Deborah smiled and accepted the hug from her, "hey sweetheart," she held her for a moment, "how are you?" She asked pulling away enough to drop her purse on the stairs, still in her heavy jacket.

"Great!" Arin grinned, "it's snowing! Tomorrow we can play in the snow!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, we can," she agreed.

Arin smiled and hugged her once more before skipping back to the living room, while Ethan helped her out of her jacket and hung it up in the closet, "thanks," she said.

Ethan nodded to her, "you're welcome," he wrapped his arms around her tightly, "I'm glad you're home," he murmured against her neck.

"Me too," she agreed.

He pulled away enough to kiss her lips, "I've got dinner almost ready and we can wait until Rachel and the guys get here or we can eat now and they can eat when they arrive."

"Alan and Rachel were ready to go when David and I we left the hospital, so they should be on their way soon. I'm sure Rachel will call Noah once they do leave," she admitted looking at him, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am," he rubbed his neck, "now that my family is home," he clarified.

"Dad was worried about us," Noah said walking towards them, "and was pissed because I didn't call him, because he's used to knowing where I am every five minutes of my life," Noah commented with a grin.

Ethan ducked his head, "hey, I can be worried about my family, too," he replied, "and I admit, I'm still not completely used to you not needing me when you go out somewhere."

"I know," Noah nodded, "I'm still getting used to that too, but don't think you're getting out of it once I graduate. Just because I'll be almost nineteen, doesn't mean a thing, I still want you to help manage me, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it, well aside from mom," Noah explained pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"If you want me to continue to, I will," Ethan smiled, "and no giving me a hard time because I was worried about you, either," he teased.

Noah smirked, "alright, I won't. I know you worry because you care, and I care about you, too, so it's cool," he replied.

Ethan smiled and nodded at him, "nice to hear."

...

Deborah went upstairs to change and that's when Rachel called and said they were just about to leave the house, so should be there soon.

Finn and Noah made their way downstairs and were already pulling out Call of Duty, Halo, and some of their other favorite games for XBox and settled in to play, because they were going to have dinner when Rachel and her dads got there.

The boys were so into their game that they didn't even notice the Berrys arrival.

After greeting everyone else, Rachel headed downstairs and as she stepped into the sitting area, she saw Finn and Noah, both kicked back on the couch with their feet propped up on the coffee table. Moving around, she silently took a seat on the arm of the couch next to her boyfriend. She smiled at him, but turned her eyes to the screen, curiously.

"Hey babe," Noah smiled, glancing at her, but was trying to help Finn finish the level they were on.

"Hello," she greeted them.

"Hey Rachel," Finn replied, intently fighting with his controller.

"Deborah said it's time for dinner, so you might want to pause your game," she said.

"We're almost done with the level," Noah assured her.

Rachel watched them and then the screen, seeing the words 'Level Complete' appear on the screen.

"Finally!" Noah exclaimed, chucking his controller on the table.

"I didn't think we'd make it. Good job," Finn said holding up his hand.

Noah gave him a high five, "we make a good team."

Rachel stood up, but Noah reached over and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down into his lap, "hey babe," he said again, this time pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Hi," she settled into his lap and kissed him again.

"Don't take too long, or they'll come looking for you," Finn laughed standing up, "and keep the clothes in case they do," he added, climbing the stairs without waiting for an answer.

"Damn, he's right," Noah muttered.

"Noah!" Rachel giggled shifting on his lap.

"What?" He rested his hands on her hips to still her from moving. "I'd love to take that step with you, someday," he admitted, reaching up to brush his hand through her hair. "And I'm not pushing you either, I'm just saying that."

She blushed, ducking her head, but nodded in understanding, "I know you're not pushing me," she replied, "and I'd like that, someday, too," she agreed pressing a kiss to his lips.

His arms slipped around her and he hugged her, "sounds like a plan to me."

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him once more before standing up, "come on, dinner and maybe if we're nice to our parents they'll let us sleep together tonight," she said with a grin.

He stood up and laughed lightly, "okay, that sounds so wrong the way you said it," he admitted, following her to the stairs.

She thought for a moment and then blushed, "you're right," she replied, "but you know what I mean," she said turning around to face him.

"Yeah, I do," he agreed, wrapping his arms around, "I'm glad that you guys made it, here safely," he told her.

"It's pretty messy out there right now," she explained, "but I'm glad we got here okay, also. I'm also looking forward to spending a few days with you and everyone," she added.

"Me too," he smirked, "welcome to the Puckerman's and Hudson's annual Thanksgiving holiday," he said pressing a kiss to her lips, before letting her go.

...

Songs mentioned: 'The Perfect Fan' by the Backstreet Boys, on their Millennium album.

...

A/N4: Hope you guys liked... I'm sooo sorry it's been over two weeks since I posted, but I've been so busy and stressed that it took me forever to get caught up on fic, but I'm doing better, so here is the new chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. **Coming up:** Thanksgiving day... Then Hanukkah, Sectionals and Puck's concert... Fun times lie ahead.

A/N5: The last few weeks have been hell, but I'm finally getting better. Majorly stressful and wanted to pull my hair out many times, but hopefully the bad stuff is behind me and I can only go up hill from here. My best friend and I took a road trip up to Forks and La Push, Washington (we're only about three hours from there) and spent the day hanging out. We had a blast! I know my way around town pretty well now (I've been there three times before) and it was a perfect way to destress.

A/N6: To kind of broaden my writing horizons, I'm borrowing an idea from a fellow friend / author GoingVintage and am going to attempt to do a fic table... Just working out the details and what prompts I'll be attempting to use. The fics will be one-shots centered around my one-true-pairing, Puckleberry, so look out for more from me coming soon, but I promise they will not pull me away from 'Starlight' or 'Out of the Blue'.

...


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

When the Berrys were taking their things upstairs, Noah made the comment that Rachel could sleep with him and none of them, his parents or hers, said anything against his suggestion for a long time, until Alan said, "don't make us regret it, Noah," and Noah swore he wouldn't.

As morning arrived, Noah slowly opened his eyes and smiled brightly, glad it hadn't been a dream, "_I love our parents_," he thought, looking at Rachel next to him.

She was laying on her back and Noah was on his stomach, his arm draped over her chest as they laid together, but now that he was awake he slowly shifted onto his side to watch her, "_yep, our parents are awesome_." Turning his head to glance behind him at his clock, he saw it was just after nine, and knowing his mom and Finn's, the two were probably already up cooking and baking.

Leaning over to press a kiss to Rachel's forehead, he smiled and rolled onto his back to reach his phone and flipped through some text messages he'd gotten while he was asleep, responding to a few before creating a 'Happy Thanksgiving' message to send to some of his friends in NYC and LA, but knew they were in various parts of the US for the holiday.

Pulling up his camera, he shifted back to face his girlfriend and took a picture of her still asleep, a smile on her face, "beautiful," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her lips.

Rachel's eyes fluttered open at his kiss and returned it, an arm slipping around his neck, "good morning," she murmured.

"Very good morning," he agreed.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Just after nine," he turned his phone to her so she could see the time.

"Did you just take that?" Rachel asked, also seeing his new wallpaper of her sleeping.

"I might have," he admitted setting his phone aside, "because I couldn't help taking a picture of the most beautiful girl in the world, who was asleep in my bed."

She blushed and sat up a little to wrap her arms around him, "I'm not the most beautiful girl in the world," she admitted, "but thanks."

Noah pulled her against him, "you are to me," he kissed her cheek, "and I love our parents, by the way."

"Me too," she agreed, "I didn't think they'd go for it, but I'm glad they did."

"They can trust us," he told her, but his words were interrupted by knocking at his door. "Come in," he called out.

Deborah pushed his door open and smiled at them, "morning you two," she greeted.

"Morning, Deborah," Rachel replied.

"Hey mom, what's up?" Noah asked.

"I figured I'd be waking you two up, but breakfast is at ten and Finn just got out of the shower, so I thought you two might want to get up and shower before breakfast," she explained, "and your dads are big babies," she admitted crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why is that?" Noah looked at her curiously.

"They wouldn't come up here and wake you guys up. Alan and David said they'd feel uncomfortable seeing you two sleeping together and your dad did it twice before, so he'd rather not again, so I got nominated," she said with a smirk.

Rachel blushed and Noah shook his head, "it's not like we'd be naked. Well, if we had been, I wouldn't have invited you in," he grinned, watching both Deborah and Rachel's eyes widen.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that," Deborah muttered turning and leaving the room before either of them could say anything.

As soon as Deborah was gone and the door was closed again, Rachel turned and punched her boyfriend in the shoulder, "Noah! Are you trying to get our parents to not let this happen again?" She asked harshly, pushing herself out of bed and moving to her bag.

"Oh come on, Rachel, she knows I'm kidding," he told her, getting up and following her.

She dug out a change of clothes and glared at him, "Noah, it's one thing to joke about it between us, but the joking can only go so far. Eventually people are going to start thinking we've already gone that far and the last thing I want is our parents think we have before we really do," she snapped, keeping her voice low, knowing if she was too loud the whole house would hear. Moving to the door, she pulled it open, "I'm going to go shower," she said calmly, heading down the hall to the bathroom.

Noah watched her for a moment and debated chasing her, but by the time his feet caught up with his brain, she was already in the bathroom, so he closed his bedroom door, leaving it open a crack before moving back to his bed and plopping down, stretching out to think. "_Smooth move, Puckerman! You're going to fuck up big time one day and she's gonna break up with you for it! Chill the fuck out or you'll scare her away!_"

...

Noah wanted to apologize to her and he knew he couldn't do it in front of everyone or they'd ask questions, so he waited for her. Every minute she was gone, the more nervous he got, but when he finally heard the bathroom door open, he jumped up, waiting for her to come back in.

As she pushed his door open, Rachel stepped into his room and saw him standing there, "Noah," she said softly, moving to her bag to put her things away.

"Rachel," he watched her for a moment and moved to the door, closing it so they'd have some privacy, "look, um, about what you said," he took a deep breath and looked at her, "I just... I don't want to fight and I guess one of my bad habits is cracking a joke to lighten the mood when there is a serious conversation or something bad happens... I guess it's a way for me to deal with stress," he said softly, stepping closer to her, "I'm sorry. Our relationship isn't something to joke about and I know that. I need to stop the whole joking thing, but it's kind of, like I said, a bad habit."

Rachel slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him, "I understand, Noah. Apology accepted," she stood up on her top toes to kiss his cheek, "I don't want you to change. I only got upset because I was shocked you'd say something like that to your mom... The more our relationship, or just what we have or haven't done, is joked about; I'm scared that our parents might," she paused, thinking of the right way to say it, "I don't want them to have a reason to start putting limits on us, like, we can't see each other outside school, or we can't be at the others house without a parent around..." She trailed off and looked at him, hoping he got what she was saying.

"I get it," he assured her, his arms wrapping around her shoulders, "and you're right. I don't want to give them a reason, either, so I'll keep the joking to a minimum," he replied, kissing her lips.

"Thank you," she kissed him again before pulling away gently, "you should go shower," she whispered.

He reluctantly pulled his eyes from her to look at the time and saw that it was nine-forty-five, "yeah, I should," he agreed, giving her a tight hug and kissing her once more before letting her go and grabbing clothes to put on, heading to the bathroom just after.

...

Rachel was still in his room when Noah returned from his shower, "hey," he headed for his dresser and grabbed some socks.

"That was quick," Rachel said looking at him oddly.

He smirked, "when you're in my line of work, you learn to hurry and I'm usually crawling out of bed twenty minutes before a car arrives to pick me up to take me somewhere, so I don't take long showers," he admitted sitting down on his bed.

"Hey! I just made that," she laughed, pointing to his bed.

Noah glanced at the head of the bed and saw it was neatly made, "wow, thanks, I don't know the last time it was actually made," he admitted with a grin, putting his socks on quickly before standing up and smoothing out the comforter. "Well, it was probably before I got back home in August."

"I've noticed," she laughed lightly, "I have been in your room before."

"Oh, right," he grabbed some shoes and slipped them on before heading towards the door, "ready?"

Rachel nodded and followed him out of his room and closed the door before taking his hand and walking downstairs to find everyone either in the dinning room or the kitchen. Since they were the last two up and downstairs, once they had arrived everyone moved into the dinning room for brunch. Pancakes, eggs, waffles, juices, fruit, and a variety of breakfast foods covered the table as they took their seats and began chatting lightly as bowls and serving dishes were passed around.

"This seems weird," Finn said, looking out the large windows to the backyard, where almost a foot of snow blanketed the landscaping, only a few spots of grass or dirt showing from areas that the trees protected, "I can't remember a Thanksgiving where there was this much snow on the ground," he admitted.

The others around the table exchanged glances, "I think you're right," Deborah agreed, "I mean, there has been snow, but never this much, especially getting it the night before Thanksgiving," she added. "I couldn't help it, as soon as I got up, I went to take pictures before you guys go out in it and mess it up," she laughed lightly.

"Only because we have snowball fights or build snowmen," Noah grinned.

"Can we build one today, Noah?" Arin asked.

"Sure," Noah nodded. "I don't see why not."

Rachel smiled at her boyfriend and rested her hand on his knee. Noah reached down and took her hand in his and squeezed it gently as he glanced at her, returning her smile. They continued to sit like that, their hands laced together against his knee, while Noah ate with his left hand, so he didn't have to let go of her hand.

...

As breakfast came to a close, everyone bundled up to go outside, even Deborah and Carole took some time from cooking to go out and enjoy the snow for a while.

Rachel started taking pictures as Finn, Ethan, Noah and even her dads began to help out cleaning off the cars, while she, Arin, Deborah and Carole wandered around the house. Arin was making snow balls and throwing them towards her brother, dad and Finn, and from where she was, she managed to hit Ethan in the leg and her brother in the back, missing Finn by a few feet. Rachel put her camera in her pocket and zipped it in so it wouldn't fall out and with her gloved hands, picked up some of the cold snow, formed a ball and looked to where her boyfriend was, stepped a few feet closer and threw it at him.

"Arin!" Noah exclaimed when he felt something hit his neck, his hand reaching back to brush off the snow, "chill out! When we're done we'll make a snowman," he said, turning around.

"I didn't do anything! Honest!" Arin called out, nowhere near him.

He eyed her and then noticed the grin on his girlfriend's face, "Rachel, did you throw that?"

She shrugged, "maybe."

Noah could tell by her tone that she had and he grinned, dropping his shovel, "oh, so you wanna play that game, huh?" He bent over and got some snow in his hands, forming a ball.

Rachel took the opportunity to start running away, but his snowball caught her right on the arm, causing her to pause and bend down to get more snow, but as she did, she felt arms around her, lifting her up, "what are you doing? Trying to throw another snowball at your boyfriend?" He asked playfully.

She giggled, "Noah, put me down."

"Only if you promise not to throw snow at me," he told her with a grin.

"I won't throw snow at you," she promised.

Noah set her down again and then she lifted her hands to his cheeks, the snow left in her hands freezing his cheeks. "Rachel!" He jumped from her, shaking a little to get rid of the snow on him, and rubbing his cheeks to warm them up.

She grinned, "I didn't _throw_ it at you, I just happened to have the snow in my hands when I went to touch your cheeks," she said as a matter-of-fact.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, "alright, you got me on that one," he agreed with a laugh, pressing a kiss to her lips.

One of her hands went to his cheek as they kissed, her other arm wrapped around him and when their lips parted, she smiled and snuggled against him, "you're warm," she murmured.

"Are you cold?" He asked, rubbing her back lightly with his hands.

"A little," she admitted, "but I don't want to go in," she added.

"You don't have to," he told her, unzipping his jacket and dropping it to the ground. Tugging off his black hoodie, he handed it to her, "put this on under your jacket."

She took it from him, looking at it for a moment before gazing at him, "but it's freezing out here, Noah. You need warmth too," she said.

"I'm moving around more from shoveling snow," he assured her, "I'll be fine," he promised, slipping his jacket back on over his t-shirt and zipping it up, resting his hands on her shoulders, "put it on and warm up," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her lips.

As they pulled apart, she nodded and unzipped her winter jacket, "um, can you hold this?" She slipped it off and he held her jacket while she pulled on his hoodie, knowing it would be several sizes too big for her, but he was right, it would be warmer. Pulling the sleeves up so they weren't hanging down, she adjusted the hood and then took back her jacket and slipped into it.

"Hold up," Noah walked around her and tugged the hood out from under her jacket and pulled it up over her head, "keep your neck and head warm as much as possible. Can't have you getting sick before Sectionals now, can we?" He said seriously.

Rachel's eyes widened as she whipped around to face him, "oh my goodness! How could I have been so lax in my health?" She gasped, zipping up her jacket and bunching the hood around her head, so her face was the only part showing.

"_I'm not even going to comment on that,_" Noah thought, wrapping his arms around her, "you'll stay warm," he assured her, pulling away enough to kiss her lips.

"I feel warmer already," she admitted smiling, "thank you for the hoodie," she said.

"You're welcome," he kissed her again, his gloved hand coming up to rest on what part of her cheek was visible, and as he did, he jumped, feeling something hit his back, knowing it had been a snowball, and by the force, could tell it was either his dad or Finn. Whipping around, he saw Finn with his arms crossed, "dude, what the fuck?" Noah snapped.

Finn motioned to the shovel he had been using, "come on. The driveway gets done faster with two people, you can play boyfriend later," Finn smirked.

Rachel giggled lightly, but watched her boyfriend turn back to face her, "it's okay, Noah, go on. He's right. The sooner you're done, the sooner we can enjoy the snow. I'm going to go see if your sister wants to start work on that snowman," Rachel admitted.

"Yeah, you guys are right," he agreed with a sigh, pressing a kiss to her lips, "I'll come find you two when we're done," he told her.

She nodded and turned to walk towards where Arin was, while Noah moved back to his shovel and got back to work.

...

It took a good half an hour, but the boys finally had the driveway cleared, out to the main road, which had been plowed by the county and once they were done, Ethan came behind them and threw out salt to help kept the driveway from icing over.

With freedom from work, Noah and Finn headed to where Arin and Rachel were, with three large snow balls, ready for a snow man, but they had been waiting for the guys to lift them.

"You didn't get very far on Frosty," Noah laughed, walking up to Rachel.

"They are too heavy for us to lift," Rachel said with a giggle, "once we finished rolling the body, we gathered up what needed for the rest of him and were going to wait until you guys were done," she explained.

"Well, now that we're here, let's get Frosty finished," Finn commented with a grin.

Noah and Finn moved to the medium piece and lifted it up without a problem and set it on top of the largest one and once it was set into place, they cleaned away the pine needles and dirt and then placed the head onto the base. It didn't take long for the snowman's shape to come together and with Arin's red scarf and some twigs for arms, he was almost complete.

Noah stood back as the girls added in some small rocks as eyes, a nose and mouth. He pulled out his phone and once they stepped back to admire their work, he snapped a photo of it.

Rachel reached for his phone and took it, "go stand by him and you can post this for your fans to see," she said.

Noah laughed, but agreed they'd enjoy it, so he moved to stand next to their creation and Rachel took a picture of him with it. Before he could move away, she took one with her camera, and that's when their parents came out to check out Frosty. The took a picture with all the kids around him and then Deborah looked at them, "you guys look like you're frozen. Come inside before you get pneumonia."

"She's kidding," Noah said, seeing his girlfriend's eyes widen, "dude, quit freakin' out about someone getting sick."

"Noah, if any of us get sick it would be horrible, especially this close to Sectionals," Rachel responded seriously.

"I've done a whole hell of a lot being sick with the flu, a cold or anything Mother Nature has thrown at me, so we'll be fine," he commented, "trust me."

Rachel took a moment to think on what he said, and she realized he was right, "I... yes, you're right. I do need to stop worrying about someone getting sick," she agreed.

Noah smiled, biting back a sarcastic comment, "_of course I'm right on this. I've been there before, a lot,_" he thought, slipping one of his arms around her shoulders as the large group headed inside to warm up.

...

Once every had a chance to change into dry clothes, the kids settled in the living room with hot chocolate, while the adults took seats in the kitchen, offering to help the moms with the last minute dinner details.

Finn disappeared when Quinn called, leaving Arin, Noah and Rachel on the couches. "Noah," Rachel looked at her boyfriend as she sipped her warm drink.

He turned a little more to face her, "yeah?"

Rachel glanced in the direction Finn had gone, "is everything alright with Finn and Quinn?" She asked softly.

Noah took a deep breath and then shrugged, "I don't know. You'll have to ask him. It's not really my place to tell," he admitted.

"You're right," Rachel nodded in agreement, "I'm sorry I asked, but he just didn't seem very happy to see her calling."

"I noticed," he replied, finishing off his hot chocolate and leaned forward to set his mug on the coffee table.

Rachel added her empty mug to the table and then settled against her boyfriend, getting comfortable in his arms. Noah kissed her forehead as she laid against him and one of his hands rubbed gentle circles on her back, relaxing both of them as he watched his sister pull out a movie and start to set the TV up to watch it, "what are you putting in?" Noah asked.

"Um, 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year'," she replied picking up the remotes and taking a seat on another couch.

Noah groaned and sunk into the couch a little more, "why?"

"It's a good movie, Noah. I am familiar with all the Disney musicals and all three of the 'High School Musical' movies are wonderfully done," Rachel explained.

Noah smirked, "yeah, well, the second movie was the first and last time I will give into peer pressure," he muttered, "so I'm glad we're not watching the second one."

"What? Why?" Rachel turned to look at him confused.

Arin giggled, "Miley Cyrus wasn't the only teen celebrity to have a cameo in it during the pool scene at the end," she said. "Considering your dating my brother, I figured you would have done tons of research on him," she laughed.

"I... I guess I never thought to," Rachel blushed.

"Well, now we have to show you," Arin said getting up to switch out the DVDs to the second movie.

"No, we don't. She doesn't have to see that," Noah said looking at his sister.

"You were in a movie? I didn't think you had ever done anything," Rachel said.

Noah sighed, "it was just a thing. I happened to be in LA when they were filming in Utah and Miley called me and told me that she was going up to Utah to film a cameo for the movie. I didn't know why she was calling me until she started begging me to come along. Now Puck will forever be in the credits as 'Boy at Pool' with 'Girl at Pool' being Miley Cyrus," he explained.

Arin skipped to the final scene of the movie, the employee pool party, where the cast was singing 'All For One' and sure enough, in the middle of the song, where there is a close up of Miley, dancing right next to her was Noah, dressed in a t-shirt and swim trunks, so Arin paused the movie there so Rachel could see.

Rachel's mouth fell open seeing him, "I..." She blushed, "I remember seeing her, but didn't know who the guy was. I thought he was just an extra," she admitted, shaking her head, "_how stupid could I be?_" She thought.

"What's this?" Finn asked staring at his friend on the screen, "is that Miley Cyrus?"

"My cameo in 'High School Music 2'. Miley talked me into it," Noah said.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Finn plopped down on the end of the couch that Noah and Rachel were sitting on. "You got to meet Vanessa Hudgens," he commented.

"Yeah, I did," Noah looked at Finn.

"Finn, is everything alright between you and Quinn?" Rachel asked softly.

Finn shrugged and slipped his phone into his pocket, "she called to apologize."

"Apologize about what?" Rachel looked at him and then Noah.

"You didn't tell her?" Finn asked.

"No, it's not my place to tell your business," Noah replied.

"Oh," Finn quickly explained what he'd told Noah the day before; that Quinn had invited only him to come to her family's Thanksgiving and she got mad at him when he turned her down, wanting to spend the holiday with his mom and the Puckermans, his family, too. "After you guys left us after school, I told her that I do love her, but she's gotta realize that I'm not going to do everything she wants and that I have family to spend the holidays with, just like she does and if she can't accept that, then there was no point in having a relationship. I said I would give her the weekend to figure shit out and asked her to think about what she would do if the situation was reversed and I was begging her to come spend the holiday here and she was the one who had to leave her family," he explained. "She said she did a lot of thinking on the way to her sister's house and she doesn't want to break up. She realized that she would be really upset if she had to spend the holiday away from her family and she now understands how close Noah and I are. She apologized for how she'd been acting for the last few months and finally admitted something I'd been suspecting for a while-"

"She's jealous," Rachel said softly.

Finn nodded, "yeah. Last year when we got together, Noah had already gone back to New York, and aside from Mike and Matt, she was the one who became a good friend and girlfriend, and now that Noah is back, she's jealous because her and I don't spend every moment together, because I'm sometimes with Noah, but also because I'm around you more, Rachel," he added.

Rachel took a deep breath, "I know she joined Glee at the end of school last year because she didn't trust me to 'keep my hands off' you. I heard her and Santana talking about it, but they didn't know I heard them," she explained, "and I'm with Noah. I don't see you like that, Finn. She has to understand that," Rachel finished.

"She does now. I made that clear and she knows it, but she has just been upset because sometimes when I come over here, you're here. I told her you guys are spending time together just like Noah and I are and sure, that means we are around each other, but we can be friends," Finn said.

"Have you ever invited her to come over with you?" Noah asked.

"No. When I come over here, I like getting away. Her and I need our space, too."

"Right," Noah looked at him, "now I'm not trying to take her side, but since you don't invite her along, you're kind of putting a gap between us. You and I are brothers and Rachel is my girlfriend. You and Rachel get along, and though I don't know much about Quinn, I'm willing to get to know her because she's your girlfriend and I'm not expecting Rachel and Quinn to be best friends, but if you and Quinn continue to date, I hope that the girls can be friends so the four of us could spend time together and it not be awkward or uncomfortable," Noah said, "Quinn is welcome here, but if she's going to be a bitch to you, my girlfriend or anyone else, then I won't hesitate to ask her to leave," he added.

Finn nodded, "I'll tell her. I figured she was, but I didn't want to say anything until I asked and I'll make sure she is nice," he paused and smiled at his brother, "you're right, again," he was really glad to have his best friend around to talk to, "I guess I should try and include her more. And it'll make her see what I've been telling her; Rachel and I are just friends, nothing more," Finn said seriously.

"I would like to get to know Quinn," Rachel admitted, "so I'd be willing to spend time as the four of us and if she is, too, I think sometime over this long weekend or this coming week the four of us should have dinner and hang out. Someplace else in case she isn't comfortable here. Maybe at your house," Rachel suggested, looking at Finn, "she's been to your place before, right?"

"Yeah she has, and that's a good idea. Maybe one night after Glee we can all go to my place, have dinner and hang out," Finn said.

"Sounds good to me," Noah agreed.

"I agree," Rachel nodded.

...

Arin had disappeared from the living room when the teens began to talk and when she returned, it was to tell them dinner was ready. "So have you always spent Thanksgiving together?" Rachel asked as they all began to take their seats around the dinning room table.

"Yep, every year since kindergarten," Noah said with a grin, "which is when we met."

"Last year was awesome, too. Usually Thanksgiving is here or at my house, but last year we flew to New York," Finn explained as everyone started passing things around the table.

"Really?" Rachel asked.

"I had just gone back into the studio and they didn't want me to come back for a long weekend, so mom, Arin, Carole and Finn flew out the day before and did Thanksgiving at our place," Noah replied.

"Where is your place exactly? You never talk about it," Rachel commented.

Noah bit his lip, trying to hide the smirk, "um, it's a condo in Times Square."

"With a view of the ball they drop on New Year's Eve!" Finn added with a grin.

Rachel's eyes widened, "really? So you're not far from Broadway then."

"No we're not," he grinned, "and we're pretty close to NYU and Julliard. If I go to school after high school I'll go to NYU and I think I know someone who might be going to Julliard," he explained casually.

"I'm going to try to get in," Rachel agreed, a blush on her cheeks. "If not, then NYU," she added.

"You'll get in," Finn said, "you're so talented."

"Thank you," she replied, nodding at Finn and turning to her boyfriend, a smile on her face, "we'd both be in New York... What about your career?" She asked.

He shrugged, "I'll take a year or two after I graduate high school to really focus back on music and touring, but after that, I'll go back to school, so it will take me a few years longer to get a four-year degree, but I _will_ get one. Besides that, there are plenty of independent study and online classes to take, so if I do resign a contract for more albums, while I'm recording and promoting my albums, I can still take classes. School has always come first and even though I don't have to go to college, I still want to."

"Have you told Elliott yet?" Finn laughed.

Noah smirked, "I think as long as I go to school in New York he'll be fine with it; if I decided to go to OSU, he might have issues," he explained.

"Finn, have you thought about where you want to go?" Rachel asked.

Finn looked at her, "I don't even know if I want to go to school, let alone, where I want to go if I do decide to go to college."

"You guys will have plenty of time to think on it, too," Alan said, joining their conversation. "Nothing has to be set in stone now. I took a year off of school when I graduated high school before I went to college."

"It's a good thing you did, or we might not have met," David commented, looking at his husband. "Who knew English 101 was a requirement for almost every degree at school," he laughed.

"Where did you guys go to school?" Noah asked looking at them.

"OSU; we're both from Ohio," Alan replied.

"You went to medical school and law school there, too?"

David nodded, "we didn't get out much," he laughed, "still don't, really, unless for conferences or sometimes family vacations."

Deborah smirked, "don't feel too bad. Until Noah became famous we hadn't been out of Ohio, except to visit family," she replied.

"It's one thing that is nice about the business; there is a lot of travel and there are places that I have seen that a guy my age would never see, so it's cool, but I remember one trip that I didn't like," Noah admitted, looking at his dad.

"Where did you go?" Rachel asked.

"Germany," he said softly, "and I was studying World War Two at the time."

"Why was that... Oh..." Rachel's hand flew to her Star of David charm.

Noah noticed her hand and nodded, "yeah, it made me pretty uncomfortable," he admitted, "and probably not the best topic of conversation over dinner," Noah muttered grabbing his can of soda and taking a drink.

The rest of the table was silent and as he set his soda down, Rachel leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, "it's okay. It's an uncomfortable topic no matter when it comes up," she added, "and it's also not something we can hide from. It's a part of our faith no matter how terrible it was. We have to keep our chin up and be thankful that we're here with our families," she added, taking his hand in hers.

"I'll drink to that," Ethan said from across the other end of the table.

Everyone agreed, lifting their glasses or cans of soda and tapping them against the others', "well said, Rachel," Carole smiled at her as she set her glass down.

"Thank you," Rachel blushed, leaning her head against her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Seems like everyone is done with dinner. Anyone up for dessert?" Deborah asked looking around, trying to get the topic changed to something lighter. The groans answered her, and she agreed they'd have pie later, "alright then," she laughed lightly, "guess you guys can do the dishes," Deborah said looking at the boys and her husband.

Noah turned a little and pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead as he stood up, letting go of her hand, "love you," he whispered to her before he, Finn and Ethan began to collect plates and dirty dishes.

Rachel watched them walk around the table and then head for the kitchen, raising a curious eyebrow at them. Deborah noticed the curious look she had on her face and smiled, "we only really have one tradition around here on Thanksgiving. We cook," she motioned between her and Carole, "and Ethan, Noah and Finn do the dishes after."

"Damn! Did you two do any dishes at all today?" Noah exclaimed from the kitchen, the loud clanking of glass and metal on the counters echoing into the dinning room.

Carole and Deborah exchanged glances and laughed, shaking their heads 'no', "no we didn't. It's not every day they do the dishes, so it needed to be worth it," Deborah replied softly, so only those at the table could hear her.

Rachel giggled at her boyfriend's outburst and looked at the two moms, "smart idea," she replied, "um, should I go help them?" She offered.

"No, just kick back and relax," Deborah waved her off, "they wouldn't let you help anyway," she admitted.

Taking Deborah seriously, Rachel sat back in her chair, feeling like she should go help them, but on the other hand, she realized that Deborah was right, so she settled into her seat and relaxed for the moment, thinking this was probably the best Thanksgiving she has ever had.

...

A/N4: Wowzers, took me a lot longer to write this chapter than I had planned; huge hugs and thank you to Karma22 / KarmaKaze22 for putting up with my neediness on this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. **Up next:** An introduction of a new character (to be used here and will also be in 'Out of the Blue') and Sectionals.

A/N5: I wanted to get this posted earlier in honor of a major day in 'Out of the Blue', but it didn't happen, so it's close. July 17th, in 'Out of the Blue' was the day that Ethan and Deborah got married, on what would have been their 17th wedding anniversary, if they would have stayed together. Their anniversary date is also the same here in 'Starlight', but they never split up in it.

A/N6: In the last chapter's author's notes, I mentioned the fic table... It is now posted at my LJ here: ( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com / 31402 . html ). I have opened up my journal for anonymous comments, so if you wanna take a look at it, feel free and if you have thoughts for any of the prompts; comment about them there. I may just use your idea for one of my fics. :)

...


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: Sectionals is featured in this chapter and the songs they will do or are discussed are ones we know from the Glee episodes, so I won't incorporate the lyrics in here, but I will mention the songs, and for some of them, the singer will be different.

...

The weekend after Thanksgiving seemed to go too fast; the Berrys and the Hudsons left the Puckerman's on Saturday morning, and after doing their homework, the next thing they knew, Monday was upon them.

During lunch, Noah and Rachel were planning on working on their vocals; she felt they should continue to practice the music for Sectionals, even if they were spot on, just to be sure, so they could focus on the dances during Glee practice after school.

Since Rachel wasn't even half done with her lunch, because she was discussing costumes for Sectionals with Kurt and Mercedes, Noah excused himself, kissing her on the forehead and telling her he'd be in the choir room when she was done. Heading down the quiet hallway, the closer he got to the choir room, the more he could hear someone playing an acoustic guitar and as he stepped up to the door, the person stopped, but he noticed one of his classmates sitting on a stool with a guitar perched in his lap, reading sheet music that was on a music stand in front of him.

Noah leaned against the wall, outside the door, so he wasn't seen, but could listen. He thought he recognized the song, but was waiting to see if he started again to be sure, so he waited. This time, when his classmate started up again, with a very familiar song, he also sang the lyrics, "_I want someone to love me, for who I am. I want someone to need me. Is that so bad? I wanna break all the madness, but it's all I have. I want someone to love me for who I am. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing is right. Nothing is right when you're gone. Losing my breath. Losing my right to be wrong. I'm frightened to death. I'm frightened that I won't be strong. I want someone to love me for who I am. I want someone to need me. Is that so bad? I wanna break all the madness, but it's all I have. I want someone to love me for who I am_..."

As the song faded and he stopped playing, even if it was only halfway through the song, Noah pushed off the wall and moved into the doorway, clapping his hands together as he continued to walk into the room.

"Noah!" The teen jumped up, looking around nervously, surprised to find him there, "I'm... Um... I can explain," he said, his thick English accent easily heard as he spoke.

"No you don't," Noah told him, dropping his backpack onto a chair, "that was great."

The teen shook his head, "no it wasn't," he sat back down, "I was just messin' around. I'm not that good. Not as good as you are."

"Ryan, it's my song; I think I know when someone plays it well," Noah replied with a smile. "And you sang and played it very well, I didn't know that you could play," Noah motioned to the guitar.

"Oh, yeah, I've been playing since I was kid. My dad taught me and then I started taking lessons in London when I lived there," Ryan explained.

"You're one up on me, I never took professional lessons," Noah commented, "how long have you been here in the states?"

"My mum and I moved over the summer," Ryan relaxed a little more, still nervous that the person who wrote the song he had been playing was now sitting in a chair near him, complimenting him on the way he played it.

"You don't have to tell me why, but how did you end up here in Lima, Ohio?" Noah laughed, "it's a big change from London."

"Well, my parents met and married when they lived in New York, then had me, and after, they moved to London for his job. They stayed there until last year, and we moved back to New York and they got a divorce. Dad went back to London and I had the choice to stay with him or with mum, so I chose her. She has family around here, so she found a job working at the newspaper in town and here I am," he motioned around.

"Sorry about the divorce, man," Noah replied, "gotta suck."

"I'm not. Mum and dad grew apart and they are better off as friends," he shrugged, "can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," Noah nodded.

"How do you deal with girls, um, wanting to be with you?" He asked, biting his lip.

Noah laughed at the question, "let me guess, all the girls in the school love your accent and are falling at your feet, huh?"

Ryan blushed, but nodded, "yeah, and when I first started here, it was okay, but it's constant. Now I don't know who wants to be mates and just want me because I have an English accent," he replied with a sigh.

"Like I said, Lima is a small-town in Ohio. Girls around here are not used to English accents, so they are probably fascinated by it. I'm born and raised here, and last year when I came to McKinley for a few months, all the girls were all over me, too, but I just kind of... I don't know... Ignored it after a while... Now, I have a girlfriend and most of them got the 'Puck's at my school' excitement out of their system, so I can finally be semi-normal, but it's the holiday season so you probably won't see me going out to the mall very often," Noah laughed. "I guess what I'm saying is eventually their fascination will end and you'll start seeing the girls come around to be friends, and hey, if you want a guy friend, you got me," Noah said holding out his hand.

Ryan shook his hand, "thanks, man, but are you sure you about that?" He asked curiously.

"Sure about what?" Noah looked at him oddly.

Ryan set his guitar down in it's case, "I'm gay. I don't advertise it, but I don't hide it either and given your popularity, are you sure it's okay?"

"It's okay. It's a free country and I don't give a shit what people think about my friends, gay or not. I'm friends with Hummel and he's gay," Noah replied, a light bulb going off in his head, "and you're a damn good soccer player," Noah added, since they were in gym class together.

"Thank you," Ryan replied, "I've been playing football since I was a kid, also."

"Oh, now, hold up. Do we have to get into a discussion about the terms? You're in the US, dude, use soccer," Noah laughed.

"Where I was raised, it's football, and I do not understand how American Football can be considered 'football' when you use your hands and the only time you really use your foot is when someone kicks the ball, like Kurt," Ryan replied.

Noah smirked, "you've got a thing for Kurt," Noah said softly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryan blushed, picking up the sheet music from the stand.

"I called him Hummel and you called him Kurt. So unless you have classes with him and know him, the only way you'd know his first name is if you're interested in him," Noah replied. "And why else would you be singing a song about you wanting someone to love you for who you are?"

Ryan was caught, so he sat back and shrugged, "yeah, alright, you get it... I'm tired of all the girls throwing themselves at me just because of my accent and they don't get it when I tell them I'm not interested in girls. So yes, I can really relate to your song, like a lot," Ryan admitted, "but I don't know how to say something to him without it sounding stupid."

"Honesty is the best policy," Noah told him.

Rachel chose that moment to rush in, "Noah, I'm so sorry. Kurt and Mercedes were going on about costumes for... Oh, hello," she stopped in her tracks when she saw him talking to another student, someone she'd only seen in class and around school, but never met.

"Rachel, this is Ryan James. We're in gym together. Ryan, this is my girlfriend Rachel Berry," Noah said motioning between them.

"We're in World History together, but it's nice to officially meet you," Rachel smiled, stepping forward and holding out her hand.

"Pleasure is all mine," Ryan stood up and shook her hand, "I'll leave you two alone, you guys obviously had something to do," Ryan added.

"No, stay," Rachel looked at him, then noticed his hands had sheet music in them and there was a guitar in it's case, "do you play?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah," he nodded.

"I heard him singing 'Who I Am'," Noah told her with a smile, "and did awesome on it."

Ryan blushed and sat back down, "it's nothing, really, I'm just messin' around," he said honestly.

"Noah has an ear for music, and he wrote that song, so he should know," Rachel said, "can you dance?"

"Why do you ask?" Ryan asked curiously.

"Rachel, not everyone who can sing or play an instrument wants to be in Glee Club," Noah warned her.

Ryan raised his eyebrows and looked at Noah, "with..."

Noah nodded, "yeah."

Rachel looked between the boys, "what am I missing?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm gay," Ryan told her.

"And that's not a problem. I have two gay dads," she replied.

"Rachel, that's not why he's concerned about it," Noah said.

Ryan looked at Noah and realized he wasn't going to say anything, so he had to, "I suppose you could say I have a, um, crush, on Kurt," Ryan said softly.

Rachel grinned, "really? That would be perfect! What a good way to get to know him. You have to join. I'll talk to Mr. Schuester. I'm sure he'd be happy to have a new member, but we're already registered for Sectionals, so you wouldn't be able compete there, but for Regionals definitely."

"We're not playing matchmakers," Noah told her, "or at least, I'm not."

"Um, I've never even talked to him," Ryan admitted, "I just... I can't believe I'm saying this to someone," he muttered. "As for joining," he shrugged, "I usually don't sing or play in front of people."

"Why not? I've been performing in front of people since I could walk, it's nothing," Rachel explained.

"Until I became Puck, I never played guitar or piano in front of anyone aside from my family and Finn. Now it's nothing, but back then, it made me so nervous, so give the guy a break," Noah said softly.

Rachel bit her lip, realizing her boyfriend was right, "I apologize, Ryan," she turned to him, "I sometimes tend to forget that most didn't grow up the way I did and if there is anyone else we can get to join Glee, it would be great, because we are at the minimum, so we should have a few more members, in case someone couldn't go," Rachel added.

Ryan nodded, "it's alright, and thanks Noah. I get what both of you are saying. Let me think about it, okay?"

"Fair enough," Rachel nodded, "we have Glee practice every Monday and Thursday after school and two weekends from now is our Sectionals competition. You're welcome to stop by and see what we do before you make your decision," she finished.

"Thank you for the invitation. I may stop by soon," he smiled at them, "I should going. I want to put my guitar in my car before lunch is over," he admitted leaning over and closing his guitar case. Putting his music away, he picked his things up and nodded his thanks to them again, "I'll see you two later. It was nice chatting with you," he smiled at them before leaving the choir room.

Rachel watched him leave and then turned to her boyfriend, "wow, I've seen him, but I didn't think he was..."

"I had my suspicions, but oh well. He is, no big deal," he shrugged, "so are we going to practice?" Noah glanced at his watch, "with the twenty minutes we have left of lunch."

"I'm so sorry, Noah," Rachel pressed a kiss to his lips, "time just got away from me while I was talking to Kurt and Mercedes."

Noah nodded, "I know you are," he told her, "I just couldn't stand listing to more talk about clothes," he admitted, "I've had to deal with it all before and it's so boring. And Kurt and Mercedes are nothing when it comes to some costume designers I've had to work with."

...

With not enough time to practice, Noah and Rachel walked to his locker so he could change his books, and once he had them, the bell rang and students filled the hallways, so he and Rachel walked to her locker, which is when they met up with Tina, Mercedes, Artie and Kurt, "hey Noah, hey Rachel," Tina greeted them.

"Hey, what's up?" Noah nodded at them. After brief greetings, Noah cleared his throat, "so I just bumped into a guy in the choir room playing one of my songs on his guitar and he was really good and Rachel invited him to join the club," Noah commented.

"Well, I asked, but he's not sure, so I asked him to come to a practice to see what we're about and he wouldn't be able to go to Sectionals and compete with us, but definitely with Regionals, and I know that would make an uneven amount of guys, or not enough girls, but maybe we can find another girl to join," Rachel rattled on.

"Who is it?" Kurt asked.

"Ryan James," Noah said softly.

"What?" Kurt exclaimed, his voice cracking as he did.

Kurt's response was all Noah needed to confirm his suspicions about who Kurt had a crush on, "yeah, he seems like a cool dude," Noah said, looking at Rachel, in hopes she wouldn't say anymore.

"Very nice guy, and he has an accent, which is not something that is we see very often around here," Rachel admitted. "I hope he will join. It would be nice to have enough drummers, guitar and piano players to have our own band for a performance or two."

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Noah asked Kurt, mentally grinning.

"Oh, um, nothing," Kurt shook his head, "I was just shocked, that's all," he tried to cover up, but the blush on his cheeks told a whole different story. "I gotta go," he dashed off without another word to any of them.

"What's up with him?" Artie asked, watching him walk away quickly.

Mercedes shrugged, "I don't know. You think he's had issues with this dude before?"

"Nah," Noah shrugged, "he's probably worried about upsetting the Glee balance. And additional costumes, you know, Kurt stuff."

"He does have a point. You and Kurt have been very focused on the costumes for Sectionals, recently," Artie agreed looking at Mercedes.

The rest seemed to be content with that for a reason, and slowly they split up to head to their classes, saving Rachel and Noah from being forced to tell the secret they knew.

...

Ryan didn't come to practice Monday, but he was the talk of the club and everyone was hoping he would join. Tuesday, Noah introduced Finn, Matt and Mike to Ryan during gym class and while they were on the track, running a mile, Noah jogged with Ryan, "all they know is that I heard you playing one of my songs and Rachel and I invited you to join. We didn't say anything else," Noah assured him.

Ryan exhaled, "okay, well, thanks. I didn't figure you would say anything, but I... I want to join... I just don't want him to think I'm joining because of him, you know?"

"He won't," Noah replied.

...

When Thursday rolled around, Ryan arrived in the Glee room and those who hadn't met him yet were introduced to him and he watched them go through the three songs they were doing for Sectionals, the ballad 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going', sung by Mercedes and Noah and Rachel sharing the leads on 'Don't Stop Believin'' and 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'. Ryan was impressed and told them he'd like to join, but hadn't danced before, aside from joking around in his room.

"Don't feel too bad, man, I hardly danced either... Bouncing around on stage and waving at fans doesn't really count as dancing, but I have done some choreography for a few songs," Noah admitted.

"Mostly from your first album," Ryan admitted.

"Oh, so you do know more of my music than 'Who I Am'," Noah smirked.

Ryan shrugged, "yes. I'm a fan."

Feeling uncomfortable playing someone else's guitar, Noah played 'Who I Am' on his acoustic, while Ryan sang along, just to prove he could sing, and the club was pleasantly surprised with his talent, knowing of him, but never truly knowing anything about him until that moment.

Ryan was welcomed into the club, and there was no way he'd be able to learn the dance routines in less than a week for Sectionals, and as Rachel had said, Will had already registered the twelve students for competition so any more or any less would disqualify them, but he was welcome to go along with them, just to see what the competition was like.

...

After Glee, Rachel, Noah, Finn and Quinn went to Finn's house for dinner. Quinn had a feeling she knew why they were there, and after the almost break-up between her and Finn, she really wanted to try to be nicer to Rachel than she had in the past and after sitting quietly in the living for a few minutes while the guys were in the kitchen cooking dinner, Quinn broke the silence with, "so, um, the Ryan guy seems like a good addition to the club."

"Yes, he does," Rachel agreed, "he's in my history class, but I had never met him until the other day when Noah introduced us."

Silence filled the room again as Quinn nervously toyed with one of the strips of fabric of her Cheerios skirt, "um, look Rachel-" Quinn started, at the same time as Rachel said, "Quinn, I'd-" The two girls laughed lightly, "you go first," Quinn said, motioning to Rachel.

Rachel nodded, "I'd like you to know that while your concerns were valid, I never had any intentions of pursuing Finn as a boyfriend," she said softly.

"I see that, now," Quinn said softly, "but, at the time he joined, I got jealous and," she took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for treating you like shit these last few months. You didn't deserve it and I should have trusted Finn enough to not cheat on me," she admitted.

"Apology accepted," Rachel smiled, sliding closer to Quinn on the couch, "I have a suggestion," she said.

"What's that?" Quinn asked.

"Our boyfriends are like brothers and Finn sees Ethan as a father, so Finn and his mom are very close to the Puckermans. Since the guys will be spending a lot of time together, I would like you and I to be comfortable around each other, because I expect us all to hang out at times, but it is difficult because you have been mean to me in the past, so if you're willing to try to be a little nicer to everyone, I'd really like us to forget the past and start over," Rachel suggested, holding out her hand to her.

Quinn soaked in what she said and nodded, taking Rachel's hand in her's and shook it, "I will do my best to be nicer," she promised, "because I'd like to start over, too," she agreed a smile.

...

Crunch time hit the following week when Sectionals was on that Saturday. During lunch on Friday, they had one more practice, and Will was sure that they had it down, so they were ready for competition.

Friday night, Hanukkah started, and the Berrys and the Puckermans celebrated apart, but the plan was for a few days later to celebrate together, before Taylor and his family arrived in Lima.

...

"Are you ready, Noah?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I am," Noah nodded, shifting his backpack on his shoulder. "You still coming?"

Ethan nodded, "I am. This isn't McKinley, you need protection. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Noah smiled and nodded, pulling on his baseball cap, "maybe I won't get recognized," he said hopeful.

The father and son exchanged glances and laughed at Noah's comment as they moved downstairs, saying 'goodbye' to his mom and sister, then left in his dad's SUV.

Arriving at McKinley about eight-forty-five, they were still waiting for a few of the students who were running late, and as they finally got there, the bus left at nine. They wanted to be in Columbus at eleven, and it was a two hour drive, but they were hopeful they'd make it with plenty of time to spare for the first performance; they didn't know what order the schools would go in, but they knew they would be competing against two other schools, and wanted to make sure they were there early, in case they were the first school.

Ethan sat with Will in the front of the bus, the guys catching up on old times, while Noah and Rachel sat together. Ryan sat in front of Noah, Finn and Quinn nearby, and they chatted lightly on the ride.

About twenty minutes from Columbus, Ethan got a call he didn't want to get. Tim and Alex, Noah's bodyguards, had come out to Ohio, earlier than everyone else for the concert at school and were at the auditorium for Sectionals, just to be 'backup' in case they were needed and it was a good thing they were, "shit," Ethan hissed from the front of the bus.

Noah heard his dad, and saw him on the phone, "what's going on?" Noah asked.

Ethan turned around, "someone let slip that you'll be there today," he said.

"Oh fuck," Noah groaned, sinking down in his seat.

"What? Who told? How did anyone know?" Rachel exclaimed.

"It wasn't me," several of the teens on the bus said.

Will, not usually one to point fingers, sighed, "I bet it was Sue Sylvester," he commented.

The entire bus groaned at the idea, and realized it wasn't too far from the realm of possibilities. The Cheerio's coach had been a pain in the Glee Club's side for a while. She hated the idea that there could be another group at school who could win and take some of the spotlight from the Cheerios, and she had tried everything to get them disqualified, including trying to say that Noah couldn't be a part of the club because he was a recording artist, but Will and Principal Figgins had already contacted the Show Choir Board and confirmed there was nothing in the rules about a recording artist being a part of the club, as long as he was a registered student at the school, so they were saved by that, the only thing the club couldn't do was use any of his recorded music, because he was receiving money for those songs and that was not allowed. Noah knew that, and so did Will, but no one else in the club did. Everyone just assumed when one of his songs was suggested and Noah talked them out of it, it was because he just didn't want to use his music, which they understood.

Noah got up and moved to the front of the bus where his dad was and sat down in the seat across from him, "who are you talking to?" Noah asked.

"Tim," Ethan said, going back to his conversation, "and your mom is going into mother hen mod with Alex about your safety."

"Mom? What is she doing down there?" Noah exclaimed.

"She, Arin, and Alan and David drove down, leaving just before we did, so they beat us," Ethan said.

Noah sunk into the seat he was in, "_this day can't get any worse,_" he thought.

Ethan turned to his son, while he was still on the phone, "alright, Noah, you got two choices. The fans are around the area where we're supposed to be dropped off and with the commotion, there are some cops there, trying to keep people from blocking traffic, so we can go there like normal and let the fans see you, or we can meet Tim and Alex a few blocks away and get you in another way without anyone seeing you," Ethan told him. "Tim is waiting for an answer."

Sitting up, Noah looked around the bus, contemplating his options and sighed, unsure what to do. He didn't want to put the entire club in a mess just because of him, but he also didn't want to have to hide from everything.

"Not like I'm telling you what to do, but wouldn't it be easier to just go on like they're not there. Say 'hi', wave, sign some autographs and then be done with it? They already know you're coming," Ryan commented.

"Yeah," Noah nodded, "just drop us off like normal and I'll deal with it when we get there," he told his dad, before getting up and returning to his seat with Rachel.

Rachel could tell Noah was upset, so she just wrapped her arms around him and settled against his chest, "it'll be okay," she whispered.

"Yeah," he stared out the window, pissed at whoever snitched.

...

Pulling up to the Buckeye Civic Auditorium, the venue for Sectionals, all the teens were shocked at how large the crowd was, fans lined both sides of the doors, waiting to see him and as they pulled up, the screams got louder as Tim and Alex headed towards the bus. Ethan nodded at the driver to let them on and the two guys climbed up, "hey everybody, welcome to Columbus," Tim said. "I'm Tim and this is Alex, we're Noah's bodyguards."

Alex waved at them, "hey all," he said, then looked at Ethan, "we'll get Noah off of here so he can see the fans and the rest can follow," Alex told him.

Ethan nodded and stood up, "Noah, go with Alex and Tim, we'll all get our stuff and head in, so you have some time to sign some autographs."

Noah sighed and stood up, "alright," he turned to his girlfriend and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I love you, see you inside."

Rachel nodded, "I love you, too," she responded, "be careful."

"I will be," he kissed her again before handing off his costume bag and backpack to his dad and following Tim and Alex off the bus, the screams a lot louder once they saw him.

"_Just be nice, smile and sign autographs,_" Noah thought, trying to focus on one thing at a time, moving over to one group of fans greeted them as he started signing books and CDs and posing for pictures.

Rachel felt horrible for her boyfriend and there was nothing she could do. As she and some of the others from the club climbed of the bus, they huddled in a circle, "I bet Noah is pissed," Mercedes said.

"I'm sure he is," Rachel nodded, "no one was supposed to know. He never mentioned anything on his website or accounts about him going to Columbus or even being in the group, so someone put it out there," Rachel replied softly.

"I hope whoever did gets in trouble. He needs to focus on today, not worry about the fans," Kurt said, "were we ever like that?" He asked looking at some of them.

"Unfortunately we were," Tina said, biting her lip, "and I'm sorry I ever was."

Once the whole group was off the bus, Will guided them towards the doors, but Ethan, Rachel, Finn, Matt, Mike and Ryan stayed outside to wait Noah. Alex and Tim were guiding him along the group of fans, making sure they didn't try to reach for him or grab at him, giving him enough time to sign some books or CDs and turn to pose for some pictures.

Noah had gone to one side of the doors and worked on signing as many autographs as he could, but the group was so deep he didn't have time to get to everyone, and once he reached the wall by the doors, he moved to the other large group and did the same thing. Finally reaching the last few he could reach by the doors, Tim and Alex guided him towards his friends and Rachel slipped her arm around her boyfriend, "you okay?" She asked.

"Just get me inside," he muttered, his arm going around her shoulders as they walked.

Finn moved to Noah's other side and slipped his arm around his friend's shoulders, "we got your back man," Finn told him.

"I know, I saw, thanks," Noah glanced around at those who had waited and once they were in the safety of the building, Noah sighed in relief, "please tell me the worst is over," he begged.

...

The worst had only just begun. McKinley got the third and last the day, so the two other schools, Jane Addams Academy and Haverbrook School for the Deaf, were first and second, and as the Jane Addams' girls went on, they performed Mercedes' song, and 'You Cant Always Get What You Want', two songs New Directions had chosen to do, and as suspected, Haverbrook used 'Don't Stop Believin'' as one of their numbers and halfway through, Rachel was so fed up, she jumped up from her seat and exclaimed, "meeting in the green room in five minutes!"

Once the entire club made their way to the green room, everyone knew who had leaked their setlist, Sue Sylvester. The four adult men, Will, Ethan, Tim and Alex waited outside the room, giving the teens a few moments to talk things out before they stepped in, but they could all hear everything and soon Deborah, Arin, Alan and David joined the guys.

Randomly taking seats in the room, no one knew where to start, but Kurt stood up and glared at the three girls dressed in Cheerios uniforms, "you leaked the setlist. You don't want to be here, you're just Sue Sylvester's little moles."

Quinn sighed; she was turning over a new leaf, trying to be nicer to everyone, "I know for a fact that's true. Sue asked us to spy for her."

"So which one of you gave her the setlist?" Finn asked, glaring at his girlfriend and the other two Cheerios.

"Well I did, but I didn't know what she was going to do with it," Brittany said softly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, but I didn't know she would do that."

Sighs fell around the room at Brittany's admission, no one really sure what to say at the moment.

"I think this is officially the worst day ever," Noah muttered, "and now I'm even more sure that she's the one that leaked I would be here."

Rachel put an arm around her boyfriend's shoulders, "alright, look guys, there's no point in us arguing anymore. We have to go on in an hour..."

Tina sighed, pressing the bridge of her nose, "and we have no songs."

"Perhaps Noah could sing one of his songs," Artie suggested.

"I can't," Noah said from the corner seat he was in, "we can't sing any of my songs without getting disqualified. I'm making money on them, so I'm sorry guys, I'd go up there and sing three songs if I could, but I can't," he explained sadly.

"How do you know that? Are there rules in the rule book about it?" Quinn asked.

Noah stood up and started pacing a little, another bad habit he had when he was nervous, "when I joined the club, Mr. Schuester and Principal Figgins contacted the Show Choir Board to explain the situation and they told them as long as I was a registered student at school there was no problems with me being in the club, but we can't sing my songs, because I make money on them. It's in rule book that a club can't receive payment of any kind for professional activities, and in this case I would be receiving the royalties for the club using my songs," he told them, "so like I said, I'm sorry, but I can't."

"That's why you always talk us out of doing one of your songs," Tina said softly.

Noah nodded sadly, "yeah, that's why."

Rachel moved over to her boyfriend and slipped her arm around his waist, "don't worry about it Noah, we'll figure something out," she turned to Mercedes, "let's start with a ballad. Mercedes, do you have anything else you could do?" Rachel asked.

Mercedes sighed, but stood up, "yeah, but it's not as good as anything you're gonna sing," she replied, standing up and moving towards her friend.

"But we agreed weeks ago that you would sing the ballad," Rachel said in shock.

"We agreed that I would sing 'And I'm Telling You' and that ain't happenin'. Look Rachel, the truth is, aside from Noah, you're the best singer we've got," Mercedes told her her truthfully.

"She's right. Aside from Noah, Rachel's our star. If anyone is gonna go belt it on the fly, it should be her," Kurt said from his chair not far away.

Rachel looked around, biting her lip to hold back some of her excitement when she said, "well, I do have something I've been working since I was four."

"Then I guess we have our ballad. And we can close with 'Somebody to Love'. It's a real crowd pleaser," Quinn said by Finn, trying to stay involved, feeling horrible for what Sue did.

"Okay, so we got two songs, but we need one more," Finn said looking around.

"What about that Avril Lavigne song we did a couple months ago, 'Keep Holding On'? We've got the dance down for that one, too," Noah suggested.

Several people agreed with Noah's suggestion and with the three songs decided, they changed into their costumes and Rachel was running through her song, "so do we have to do anything for your song, Rachel?" Noah asked as everyone settled back in the green room.

"Um, well, it's a Barbara Streisand song from the musical 'Funny Girl'. I'm going to start in the back of the auditorium and when the music starts I'll come out from the door singing, and I'll work my way up on stage and there is a line in the song, 'I'll march my band out' and I think you guys should all walk out from the same way I came and as I finish the song you guys will be on stage in your places for 'Keep Holding On', but my only issue is how Artie will get there, because the stage only has stairs in the front," Rachel said.

"That's easy. I can be backstage and when everyone comes out, I'll wheel out," Artie said.

"Yes, that will work," Rachel smiled, "so we have it. Questions?" Rachel looked around.

"Is this really going to work?" Tina asked nervously.

"We can do this, guys," Noah said looking around, "we will win," he told them.

...

Noah smiled as he watched his girlfriend sing and dance her way to the stage. As she said the line she mentioned previously, he led a group of the club out while Finn was at the other aisle, doing the same thing and as they reached the stage, each of them took their places for the next song.

Running through 'Keep Holding On' and 'Somebody to Love', Noah and Rachel had the leads for both and as the final notes ended for their last song, all of the teens sighed in relief at the standing ovation they were getting, hoping that was a clue to who would win.

The three groups in various places in the venue, waited for the results and when they were asked to return to the stage for the announcement, the three clubs took places on stage, New Directions gathered together on one side and Noah threw his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, noticing the flashes from cameras in his direction, so he held up a hand to wave slightly before the judges walked up on stage.

Rod Remington took the microphone and looked around the auditorium, "after careful deliberation, we, the judges, have chosen the winner for the Western Ohio High School Show Choir Sectionals... and the winner is..." He paused, opening up a piece of paper he held and turned to the schools, "William McKinley High School's New Directions!"

...

Lyrics used: 'Who I Am' by Nick Jonas & The Administration... This is a song on Puck's 3rd album and he wrote it. Obviously, he didn't write it in real life, but I'm borrowing it for this work of fiction.

Underlined text: Direct quotes from episode 1x13 - Sectionals

Glee songs mentioned: 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going', 'You Cant Always Get What You Want', 'Don't Stop Believin'', 'Don't Rain On My Parade', 'Keep Holding On', and 'Somebody to Love'

...

A/N5: I hope you guys liked this chapter... I didn't focus so much on Sectionals, since I'm sure most, if not all of you, have seen the episode, but I did change a few of the songs. Some of the things that happened in the first 13 episodes of Glee, happened in this fic, but some of them didn't. Rachel never left the club, April Rhodes never showed up, the kids never did the mattress commercial, Sue didn't become co-director and try to split them up like she did in 'Throwdown', but she did keep an eye on the club and hated the idea of them succeeding. I had other things I wanted to write about so I didn't focus so much on the stuff we saw in the show. Hope that is alright... Review and let me know what you think.

A/N6: If you guys want to know what Ryan James looks like, think of Oliver James, known from the movies 'What A Girl Wants' and 'Raise Your Voice'. He has two songs on the 'What A Girl Wants' soundtrack; he has an awesome voice.

A/N7: Shameless plug in case I'm not on your author alerts - for those of you who don't know, I posted my first one-shot for my fic table (Prompt #50 - Moon), called 'Fly Me to the Moon' about a week ago. It's a Puckleberry future fic featuring astronaut!Puck. I also just posted my second fic table one-shot (AU) with Puck as a cowboy/farmer, filling prompt #16 - Lost, called 'Good Directions'. Both are posted on FF and LJ and I would love to hear what you all think.

A/N8: Today (August 2nd) makes one year since I stopped talking to the friend who told me my writing wasn't very good. Thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed my stories and have supported me! I love you all!

...


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

New Directions' win at Sectionals was bitter sweet. The 'bitter' part was they had been stabbed in the back and had to come up with miracle, but the 'sweet' side was they were able to pull off three songs they hadn't planned on doing and won the competition.

The entire way home from Columbus Saturday evening, Noah was quiet, not speaking much, other than to his girlfriend. He was pissed and needed some time to deal with what had happened that day. He was glad the club had won, but he was upset that someone, more than likely Sue Sylvester, crossed a line and put him, the club and everyone else there in danger and forced the spotlight on 'Puck', something Noah didn't want to do at all, which is why he never mentioned where he'd be going or that he was in the show choir at school; he didn't want 'Puck' to take away from the rest of club.

When Ethan and Noah arrived home, his mom and sister were already back, and he didn't even greet them as he went into the house, he just headed upstairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him.

The parents exchanged concerned glances and Arin was the one to voice what they were thinking, "Noah's mad about the fans showing up, today, isn't he?"

"He is," Ethan admitted with a nod, "he was quiet the whole way home and only really talked to Rachel," he explained, "I think he needs some space."

As Ethan said that, Noah entered the kitchen with his backpack in his hand, "I'm going out. I might be back tonight, might not. See ya later," he called out, waving to them as he left.

Deborah noticed the backpack, so she followed him into the garage, "Noah, where are you going?"

"I don't know, anywhere but here," he snapped, tossing his bag into the passenger seat of his SUV.

"What's wrong with being at home all of a sudden?" She asked quickly, following him around to the driver's side.

"Because everywhere I look, all I see is 'Puck' and if it wasn't for that, there would not have been tons of fans waiting for me today," he replied. "Mom, I just need to think. At this very moment, I'm about ready to say 'Puck' is done and fuck the rest of my contract," he finished, sliding into his seat and starting the engine, hitting the garage door opener inside his car.

Deborah moved so she was standing by his door and motioned for him to roll the window down. He did, even if he didn't want to talk, "what happened today was horrible and I'm sorry it did. I know you feel bad because 'Puck' ruined your day and put the spotlight on you, but no one is going to care. You've mentioned New Directions a few times in interviews, so it was only a matter of time before people figured out what the club is and if it hadn't happened today, it would happen at Regionals, because everyone there recognized you, even without the screaming fans," she said softly, "and you're saying things you don't mean just because you're upset. Please don't go anywhere, just stay here. I don't want to get a call in a few hours that you were in a car accident, alright?" She begged, fighting tears in her eyes.

Noah opened his mouth to say something, then closed it when he realized she was right. He was pissed, and the last thing he needed to be doing was driving around, so he hit the garage door button to close it, rolled up his window and turned off the engine before climbing out with his bag. "You're right," he said softly.

She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, "just think of the great things that happened today, you guys won and are going to Regionals, and no one got hurt," she said rubbing his back.

Taking a deep breath, Noah sighed, but nodded, "yeah, we did win," he agreed, "it still sucks that the fans showed up; I expected to be recognized at the venue, I just didn't think anyone would tell that I would be there."

"I know. You're dad is already working on finding out who did it. If it was Sue who gave out the setlist and who told about you being there, it's not over. You know your dad isn't going to let it go until they get in trouble for it," she told him.

"If it is Sue, then I guess McKinley will be needing a new Cheerios coach," Ethan said from the doorway, "because she broke a confidentiality contract she, along with every other staff member at school, signed before you started going there last year and resigned it this year."

Noah's mouth fell open as he stared at his dad, "what? What happens if they break it?"

"If the contract is violated, the staff member is terminated without a chance of being rehired," he said simply, motioning inside. Noah and Deborah followed him back into the house and into the kitchen and they all sat down at the island, "just before you started going there last year, our lawyers here in Ohio, the head of the school district, Principal Figgins, Elliott, your mom and I, sat down and came up with a confidentiality agreement for every staff member to sign that says they agree if they release any information about you to the public, without permission, their job will be terminated. Everyone agreed on it and before school started last year, and then again this year, all staff members signed the contract, so if it was a staff member that leaked the information to the public, their job will be terminated," he said honestly.

"Wow," Noah stared at the counter for a moment, "why didn't I know about this?"

"You didn't need to know. This contract was to curb a staff member from going to the press to give personal information out about you, like residence, grades, that kind of stuff; if someone is desperate enough for money, they'd do it. The contract also covers anything you do yourself or as a group with a sport or a club you're in, too," Ethan added, "I know today sucked, but this will get taken care of, so just relax and let the good outweigh the bad. I got your back, kid, always have, always will," he smiled, patting his son's shoulder.

"Thanks dad, mom," Noah nodded at them, "I know how people can get greedy. I think what pisses me off the most is that I didn't prepare myself for all the fans, so it was a huge shock they were there. Also, there were eleven others on stage with me and I know that ninety-percent of the audience was focused on me and I didn't want that. I also don't want anyone in the club to be pissed that I took the spotlight from them or in a few weeks, when we're getting ready for Regionals, have someone in the press say I was the reason we won Sectionals; that the judges just let us win because I was in the club."

"Your friends are not going to think that. They've accepted you as a part of the club and not just some pop star going to their school," Deborah told him, her hands on his shoulders, "it's been a long day, why don't you go upstairs and shower and get to bed early. You could use some time to relax," she said softly, the nurse in her coming out.

Noah nodded, "yeah, it wouldn't hurt," he admitted, "um, thanks... Sorry I was so quiet on the way home, dad," Noah added.

"Don't worry about it. I get it," Ethan replied.

"Love you guys," Noah said before getting up and leaving the kitchen.

Heading upstairs, Noah grabbed his bag on the way; he hadn't planned to go far; was just going to Rachel's, but his mom had been right, so he dropped his things off in his room and grabbed some clothes to change into before heading to the bathroom and finding his sister in the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Arin asked, moving towards him and giving him a hug.

He shrugged, "I will be, just need some time to cool off," he admitted, returning her hug.

"I think winning should make everything else better," she said.

"I'm trying to see that," he agreed, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "goodnight kiddo," he added, knowing she had just finished brushing her teeth and was now on her way to bed.

"Night Noah, love you," she said pulling away.

"Love you, too," he replied, watching her walk into her room and close the door.

Noah moved into the bathroom and took a shower, longer than normal and the hot water helped his tense back and shoulders. It had been a long day and as he reluctantly climbed out when the water went cold, he dried off and threw on some boxers and a t-shirt before grabbing his dirty clothes and heading for his room.

"_Hum, that's odd,_" he thought, turning on his light, "_I don't remember turning it off. Well, maybe mom or dad did on their way past._" Dropping his clothes into the hamper by his closet, he moved to the side of his bed and took a seat on the edge for a moment, closing his eyes briefly to just relax.

"You really are out of it," Rachel's voice entered his mind, followed by the scent of her shampoo filling his nose.

The smell had lingered on his pillows from the few days she stayed there over Thanksgiving, but that had been a few weeks prior, so he was surprised it was that strong, but then something clicked in his brain and he turned around on the bed, seeing his girlfriend laying on top of his blankets in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a loose t-shirt. He blinked his eyes a few times, rubbing them to make sure he wasn't seeing things, "Rachel?"

She nodded and sat up on her knees and moved towards him, "you're not seeing things, Noah," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him lovingly.

Noah pulled her against him as they kissed and when they broke for air, he looked at her, "what are you doing here?" He asked softly, "not that I don't enjoy the surprise, because I really needed it," he admitted.

Rachel kissed his forehead, "apparently when your mom went to talk you out of leaving, your dad called my house and asked my dads if they'd let me come over for a few nights because you were upset and could use some company," she explained, "then when I got here, you were in the shower, so your parents filled me in on what happened. I came up here to wait for you and I was surprised you didn't notice me when you turned your light on," she told him.

"I'm sorry, I'm just out of it. Today was a lot to deal with," he replied.

"You do know that no one in the club hates you for taking the spotlight off of them, right?" She asked seriously. "If someone thinks that you got us a win at Sectionals, so what? You said today that Figgins and Mr. Schuester already explained the situation to the Show Choir Board, and they're okay with it as long as we don't sing your songs," she added.

He sighed, "I know that now, at the time I was just upset that all that happened... The fans, the setlist, and having to come up with three new songs on the fly to sing... Getting stabbed in the back sucks," he replied, "my fans are important to me, don't get me wrong, but I had hoped that just one time I could go do something without a large group of them showing up, but it didn't work. Then when the other schools had our songs and we needed a miracle... Someone was looking out for us when we won."

She nodded and shifted from him to pull his blankets back, "there was," she agreed.

"So you're staying the night?" He asked standing up to pull his blankets back the rest of the way to get under them.

"Yes, and probably tomorrow night. That way we can just go to school from here Monday morning," she explained.

Noah smiled and once they were settled, he kissed her, "works for me. Thank you for coming over," he whispered to her, "I really needed this."

...

Having turned off his alarm the night before, it was after ten-am Sunday morning before the teens woke up. Neither wanted to get out of bed, but her dads were coming over to celebrate Hanukkah that night, so they needed to get their homework done for class on Monday, so once they finally got up, showered, and had some breakfast, they dug into their studies.

Ethan and Deborah were in the kitchen working on dinner preparations when Noah walked in to get something to drink for him and Rachel. Going right up to his parents, he slipped an arm around each of their backs, "thank you guys for inviting Rachel over last night," he said kissing his mom on the cheek.

"You're welcome," Ethan replied with a smile.

"I feel so much better... After my shower, her coming over, talking to her last night and then this morning and talking to you guys," he bit his lip, "I was overreacting," Noah admitted with a blush.

"You had every right to be, but thankfully you listened to reason and stayed home," Deborah said softly.

"I was gonna go to Rachel's," Noah replied with a laugh, "but you guys brought her to me, so it worked out," he told them moving to the fridge to get some bottled water.

"This Noah is different," Ethan smirked, watching his son, but was talking to his wife, loud enough so Noah could hear him.

Noah turned around, "because I'm in love," he replied with a grin.

...

Rachel's dads came over around four, adding their gifts to the pile on the table near the menorah and once everyone was settled, with four adults there and that night being the third night of Hanukkah, they were lighting the shamash, the taller candle in the middle, and three of the lower candles (1), so each adult took turns lighting one and in English, everyone recited the traditional blessings said while lighting the candles.

As the last candle was lit, Rachel locked eyes with her boyfriend and something stirred in both of them that neither recognized, causing her to blush and him to grin, "happy Hanukkah, babe," Noah said wrapping his arms around her.

Rachel smiled against his chest as they hugged, "same to you," she replied.

...

During dinner, Ethan watched his son's eyes continue to glance from his plate to the gifts on the table across the room, easy to see that he was anxious to give Rachel one of the gifts. "Oh just go give it to her," Ethan laughed.

"Really?" Noah looked up and grinned, hopping up and dashing to get what he wanted to give her and then returned, retaking his seat and holding a folder out to her.

"What's this?" Rachel asked, looking at it curiously as she took it from him.

"Look inside and you'll see," Noah replied.

Rachel opened up the folder and saw many papers sitting inside, recognizing an airline logo and then read over the information and names listed: hers, her dads, Noah, his sister and parents, Finn, Carole and Quinn, and then she saw the destination was New York City and the date was about a week away. Gasping, she looked at her boyfriend, and then around the table at everyone else, "we're going to New York?"

"All of us at the table are leaving a week from tomorrow for New York and then Finn, Quinn and Carole are going to come up a week later, after Christmas, so they can spend New Year's Eve with us and then we'll all come home on the second, which is a Saturday, just two days before school starts back up," Noah explained.

"Oh wow," she leaned over and kissed him, "this is going to be amazing!"

"I hope so," Noah smiled kissing her again, "I hope you're okay with Quinn coming. After we had that first dinner with Finn and her at his place, things seemed to be better between all of us and I knew he'd want to be with her on New Year's Eve and all."

"It's perfectly fine," Rachel nodded, "Quinn and I are getting along and it would be a good way for us to get to know each other, in a different place than Lima," she admitted, "oh there's so much we can all do," Rachel grinned already excited.

"Hold up, babe. There's a catch," he said sadly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "what's the catch?"

"When I decided to come back to school, I agreed that I'd work a little on the long breaks between school, like Winter, Spring and Summer breaks. I'm releasing my new single in early January and we're arriving on a Monday, and Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday I'll have to be shooting my video for it, so they can get filming done before Christmas and have it edited by the release date," Noah explained, "so for the first few days there I'll be working. You're welcome to come with, but it'll be kind of boring," he added.

"I'd love to be there, Noah. I'm curious what it's really like," she said.

"Pack warm then, we're going to the beach for a few days," he told her with a smile.

"In New York?" She looked at him.

Noah laughed, "yes, they have beaches. We've got a whole hotel rented for all of us and the production staff and are using the hotel's beach for the shoot," Noah explained.

"Wow," she blushed, thinking of what she had just found out, "so we're all spending Winter Break in New York, you're shooting a music video for you're new single, Finn, Quinn and Carole are coming out a few days before New Year's Eve and we're all going to spend it together in New York City?"

"Yep, that is pretty much it," her boyfriend replied with a nod. "The best of both worlds," he added with a grin.

Rachel giggled at that and leaned forward pressing a kiss to his lips, "your world that I want to continue to be a part of," she replied.

He hugged her, "that's good to hear," he agreed.

With smiles, they returned to dinner and once everyone had finished, dishes were done, the rest of the gifts were given out. Noah was holding his gift to Rachel until the last one and as her others were opened, he set the necklace box down on the table in front of her and she looked at the box curiously, "what's this?" She asked.

"Remember a while ago when I asked you why you never wore your birthstone and you told me that you just hadn't gotten anything from someone to wear and didn't know what to get yourself?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes," she nodded, remembering their conversation and picked up the box and opened it, gasping at the contents, "oh, Noah, this is beautiful," she was looking at a simple star shape with alternating rubies and diamonds, "I've never seen anything like it before," she admitted, "how did you find something it?" She asked in shock.

"Find? I didn't," he replied, "I had it made for you. I couldn't find what I liked, so I talked with a jeweler and we designed it," he explained.

Tears came to her eyes as she realized what that meant and slowly took it out of the box, a smile on her face, "I... Noah, I love it. I love you," she said blinking back tears as she leaned forward and kissed him, "thank you."

"I love you, too, Rachel," he whispered, kissing her back before they parted, "you want to put it on?" He asked softly.

"Yeah," she nodded, handing it to him and then turned her back to him and pulled her hair up. He unclasp the chain and carefully wrapped it around her neck and clipped the ends together, making sure they were hooked before he let it lay against her skin, and as he did, she let her hair down, "how does it look?" She asked, turning to face him again.

"You look beautiful," he replied with a smile, "so it just adds to your beauty," he finished keeping his other thoughts to himself.

...

Both families admitted they weren't super traditional when it came to Hanukkah celebrations; usually they had a Jewish dinner, exchanged gifts and that usually was it; the families were already noticing they shared a lot in common, and Rachel and Noah were glad that they all got along; it made things a lot easier on the young and in love couple.

As Sunday night came to a close, Rachel's dads returned home, but Rachel remained at the Puckermans, promising her dads she'd come home the next night.

Getting up on Monday morning, neither Rachel nor Noah knew what to expect when they got to school. Noah and Rachel heard from Ethan that Will had already spoken to Principal Figgins about what happened, and the principal agreed it was important to get to the bottom of who leaked the information about Noah and about the setlist, so Ethan was meeting with Will and Figgins at school that day to talk, so the two teens were nervous about the day.

"We're all meeting in the choir room before school," Rachel said about halfway to school.

"We are? Why?" Noah asked looking at her for a moment before turning his eyes back to the road.

"A small celebratory meeting before classes start, that's all," she replied, secretly hiding the real reason for the meeting.

"Alright, but I don't see why we're doing it now if we meet after school anyway," he told her changing lanes so he could turn towards school.

"_Because everyone else is going to tell you what your parents and I told you this weekend, and make sure you believe it_," Rachel thought, looking out the window, without responding to his comment.

Arriving at school, Noah parked near Finn's car and the two climbed out, grabbing their bags and once the doors were shut, he locked the SUV and took her hand in his as they made their way towards the school, and then inside, walking down the hallway until they were close to his locker, "stop at our lockers first or later?"

"Now, so we don't have to rush," Rachel replied as they paused at his locker, "I'll meet you back here in a few moments," she leaned up, kissed him on the lips and continued down the hallway.

Noah watched her walk away, a smile on his face. She was wearing jeans, which was a rare occurrence, that fit her in all the right places, and the sweater she wore was a little tighter than the ones she normally had on, so he was seeing a different side of her and he definitely enjoyed the view.

Once she was out of his line of sight, he focused on getting his books for his first two classes and after he'd switched them out, he closed his locker and leaned against it, waiting for her return. It didn't take long before she was walking back towards him.

"Lady Rachel, would like an escort to the choir room?" He asked, holding out his arm for her.

Rachel giggled, but slipped her arms in his, "I'd love one, Lord Noah," she replied, smiling as they walked down the hallway.

Crystal rolled her eyes at Noah and Rachel's exchange in the hallway, "_Puck, when will you realize she's ruining your reputation? I guess I'm going to have to be the one to fix things for you and give you back your life,_" she thought, closing her locker and heading in the opposite direction.

Stepping into the choir room, Noah looked around and noticed the rest of the club was there, and their winning trophy sat on the piano for all to see, "hey guys, so what's with this meeting?" Noah asked.

"Not so much of a meeting, but a talk with you," Rachel said softly next to him.

"What? With me?" Noah groaned, realizing somehow everyone else found out about his bad mood from the weekend, "look, I'm over this weekend... or well, just consider it a 'Popstar Funk'," he told them.

"Noah, whoever narked on you needs to get a good ass kicking," Mercedes said, "it was not cool at all that they leaked the information, and it wasn't any of us," she added.

Noah smirked, "thanks, and I know it wasn't any of you," he replied, "I never doubted you guys. Like my parents said, if it hadn't happened at Sectionals, it would happen at Regionals. It's just something I have to deal with. The last few months have been great, living here and being able to go out, now, without a group of girls chasing me down, but outside the bubble of Lima, it's not like that. There were a lot of people there just to see the choirs' performances, so you know most of them recognized me, and I have mentioned New Directions being a club I'm in at school, so it was only a matter of time before people figured out what it was," he shrugged, "so, there's no hiding with it now," he replied.

"You do know that we don't care people were there to see Puck, right?" Tina asked.

"So I've heard," Noah sighed, beginning to pace, "look, you've gotta see it from where I'm standing. I'm a popstar. I can't hide from that. Around here, in school, in Lima, I'm Noah, but to the rest of the world, I'm Puck. I know you guys enough to know that you wouldn't care about me 'taking the spotlight', but I can't help worrying about it."

"Don't bro," Finn moved towards him and stopped him from packing, "I, for one, am glad people were paying more attention to you than me, I suck at dancing," Finn laughed.

Noah smirked, "well that isn't news," he laughed, "but thanks. I just don't want Puck to ruin a good thing, ya know? We won, that's great, but all I saw was flashing lights and heard my name being screamed, and I'm used to it, so I could deal with it, but I didn't want that on our first performance as a group," Noah explained.

"I'm sorry I ever was like one of those fangirls," Tina said nervously.

Noah walked over to Tina, "don't be," he gave her a friendly hug, "it's okay to be a fan and be excited to be near that person," he assured her.

She nodded her thanks, "yeah, but I heard someone yell out they wanted to have your kids," she added, looking at him and then Rachel.

"They can go overboard," Noah smirked, "and I've learned to tune out a lot of those comments, so as long as you keep it to squealing and wanting an autograph, it's cool. When girls start spouting marriage proposals or things like you heard, that's when it's not so cool," he explained, "even if they're serious."

"I admit it, before I met you, like here at school, I would have said something like that to you, but as a joke," Mercedes commented, "but now that I know you, I wouldn't, because you're a cool guy and a good friend, so I wouldn't joke about something like that with a friend," she explained.

Noah laughed lightly at the first part of her comment, but sobered to respond to the other part, "thanks Mercedes."

"You're welcome," she replied, "and I think I speak for everyone here when I say that, too. You're our friend, with or with out Puck as your other personality," she added, "so we don't care if people come to our performances to see you. They're still coming and are watching us so that's cool," she said.

Everyone in there nodded, making comments like, "she's right," "well said, Mercedes," or something similar, agreeing with what she had said.

Noah smiled and looked around, "thanks guys. I always knew this, but it's nice to hear sometimes," he admitted.

...

1. ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ Hanukkah )

(Research originally done for 'Out of the Blue' Part 16)

...

A/N4: I didn't focus as much on Hanukkah as I first thought I would; wasn't sure exactly what to have happen, so I went with something simple... I changed Rachel's birthday to July, compared to what her's is in 'Out of the Blue'... In OotB it's September 1, in 'Starlight' it's July 25, because I figured since they got together on the first day of school in 'Starlight', the next day would have been her birthday, so I figured I'd change it up and make both of them Leos instead.

A/N5: To pass the time between 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight' updates, I also have two newer one-shots posted if you're interested and I'd love to hear what you think of them... 'Fly Me to the Moon' and 'Good Directions', and 'Good Directions' will have a sequel chapter posted soon.

A/N6: Happy 08.09.10!

A/N7: Please review to let me know what you think... Anything you'd like to see happen?

**Up next:** Papa bear protects his cub and Taylor arrives in Lima

...


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Ethan went into the main office of McKinley and checked in, getting a visitor's badge that he clipped on his shirt before heading towards Will's office in the choir room. Principal Figgins asked to meet with them Monday, to discuss the weekend and figure out where to go from there. Walking into the familiar room, Ethan noticed the club's first place trophy sitting on the piano, as he turned into Will's office, and knocked lightly on the door frame, seeing him in there, "hey Will."

"Ethan, hey. Thanks for coming in," Will said motioning to the empty seat, "did you find the contracts?"

He nodded, holding up a folder in his hand, "yep, one from this year and last year for her, but are we still sure it was her?" Ethan asked, "I mean there is speculation, but do we have any solid proof?"

"Yes we do," Will nodded, "I didn't want to tell you over the phone. When I got to school this morning, I had a chat with Figgins. Do you want the Noah news first or the club news?"

"Honestly, my concern is for my son's safety, so that first, no offense, to you or the kids or the club," Ethan admitted.

"None taken and I understand," Will replied, "Figgins was with one of the school's computer techs and they went onto Sue's computer to find that on Thursday afternoon, after school hours, someone from her computer, and with the screen name 'SSCheeriosCoach' posted a message on six different 'Puck' fan forums and sites that Noah would be performing at the Buckeye Civic Auditorium with his club from school, New Directions, and he would be there from about eleven-am to five-pm... Now obviously 'SS' means Sue Sylvester, and we can't prove that she was physically sitting at her computer, but the chances of someone else being in her office, using her computer and her screen name without her knowing about it, is slim to none, so it's a pretty good chance she did it."

Ethan's blood boiled, now, he was almost one-hundred-percent sure that Sue let the news out, but there was the off chance that she really didn't, but like Will said, the chances were slim, "you're right, but unless she admits it, we really can't use it against her. She can claim one of her Cheerios did it, or someone snuck into her office to frame her," Ethan told him sitting back, rubbing his forehead. "What's the news with the setlist?"

"It get's even better," Will replied with an evil smile, "Principal Figgins informed me that over the weekend, he received emails from both directors of our competitive schools, admitting that Sue told them what we would be singing and this morning, they faxed over the paper she wrote the notes on... Cheerios Letterhead, written in her handwriting and she signed them," he laughed, "she is screwed."

Ethan grinned, "yes she is. I haven't told Noah's manager about this weekend, because Elliott will be here in a few days, but if we can't get her on Noah, then we can at least get her for that, and it'll give us a chance to figure out the leak, which I'm pretty sure is Sue."

Will nodded and stood up, "he wants to see us at noon, but I have classes that start at twelve-twenty, so I can't be there too long, but I know he wants to talk to you about this and the concert, and after classes are over for the day, we're talking to Sue," he explained.

"That's fine, I'm free. Deborah is picking up Arin after school," Ethan replied.

...

Will, Ethan and Figgins talked in Figgins' office about what happened, and Ethan read over the part of the contract, explaining the ramifications if the contract was broken, and it clearly stated that their job would be permanently terminated from Lima School District.

When lunch was over, Will had to go teach classes, but Ethan remained, discussing the weekends' problems, along with the coming up concert, where he assured Figgins that things were under control and along with Noah's bodyguards, there would be several Lima police officers around the school, undercover and uniformed, for protection. Ethan didn't think Noah or Taylor would need much security, since the school seemed to be pretty calm with Noah being there now, but Ethan also wasn't taking any chances with their safety.

Hearing Figgins' phone ring, Ethan glanced at the time and saw it was almost the end of the day, so Will would be up there soon and they could finally confront Sue.

"...Yes, Superintendent Williams, his father is here... You do? Okay, well, I would like you to hear everything she says so she can't try and deny this ever happened or threaten to contact you," he said, pressing the speakerphone button, "so if you could stay on the phone and put yours on mute so we can not hear you, that would be greatly appreciated, sir."

"I'd be happy to stay on the phone and listen to this. I am disgusted that she would pull such a thing and I have the contracts she signed in front of me and I still agree with the termination, so if she admits to leaking the information, she will be terminated," Edward Williams, the Superintendent (head) of the entire Lima School District, said.

A bell rang overhead, so Ethan got up and shifted onto the couch, leaving the seats right in front of Figgins' desk for Sue and Will. Will was the next to arrive, when Figgins had gone out into the office and called Sue down. While they waited, none of them said anything.

When Sue pushed the door open and stepped into Figgins' office, she looked around, "so what is this? William came to sob about his pathetic group of misfits loosing at Sectionals?" She asked taking the empty seat.

"For your information, _Sue_, the Glee Club took first place, after having to come up with three brand _new_ songs to perform after _someone_ released our setlist to the other schools!" Will snapped.

"What did they do to win, beg?" She retorted.

"Sue, the directors, both from the 'Jane Addams Academy' and 'Haverbrook School for the Deaf' have informed me that you gave them the New Directions setlist," Figgins said.

She rolled her eyes, "you have no proof."

Figgins just stared at her, "the setlists were on Cheerios Letterhead."

"I didn't do it," Sue shrugged, averting her eyes from Will and the principal.

"They say 'From the Desk of Sue Sylvester'," Figgins added staring at her.

"Circumstantial evidence," she retorted.

The principal was getting very angry at this point, "they are written in your handwriting."

Sue stood her ground, "forgeries!"

"Sue, there is an orgy of evidence stacked against you!" Figgins snapped.

The woman in the room rolled her eyes and sighed, "well, you've clearly made up your mind not to be impartial in this case, so let's see if you can't wrap up this little lecture, slap me on the wrist and let me get back to whippin' my squad of champions into shape," she paused, standing up, adjusting her track jacket and then turned and headed towards the door, "we have to be in Albuquerque in a couple of weeks for Nationals," she added.

As Sue reached the door and started to pull it open, Figgins took a deep breath, "SUE! Sit down!" He snapped, "I'm not done, yet!"

Hearing his voice, she paused and slowly turned, stepping towards the chair she had been sitting in and stood behind it.

"Sit down, Sue," Figgins tried again, this time calmer as he motioned to the chair.

"I will not be ordered around by the male species," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

When she made no move to sit down, Ethan stood up, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at her, "would you _please_ sit down, Ms. Sylvester," he said calmly, but he was inches away from biting her head off.

Sue stared at him and then turned to Figgins and when he motioned to the chair, she took a deep breath and finally sat down after several tries. Ethan retook his seat on the couch, this time sitting further forward, because he would be involved in the rest of this conversation.

"Sue, on top of releasing the setlist to our competitive schools, you also announced on six different public fan websites for Puck, that Noah Puckerman would be at the Buckeye Civic Auditorium on Saturday," Figgins said calmly, "not only breaking a confidentiality contract that you signed about releasing information about Noah, but you also put him and everyone that was with him in danger."

"Oh please, what can a bunch of screaming girls do to a seventeen-year-old boy? Other than make him very excited?" She laughed lightly.

"Are you admitting that you leaked private information about Noah Puckerman to the public?" Figgins asked calmly.

She smirked, "now that I will actually admit to. Yes I did release that information."

Ethan shook his head in disgust, "you deliberately put my son, and every one of those teens in danger just for laugh. If I hadn't planned to go with them, and he didn't have bodyguards waiting when we got there, hard telling how many of them would have been injured. Have you ever seen what happens when twenty to thirty or more teen girls get an opportunity to be near their favorite celebrities without protection? It's how people get trampled on, how clothes get ripped, how injuries happen," he hissed, fighting the urge to get in right in her face.

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing that daddy and a couple of rent-a-cops were there to protect everybody," Sue said, standing up to stand behind her chair again.

"Sue, you broke a contract that you signed this year and last year that states that no employee of William McKinley High School is allowed to give out personal information about Mr. Noah Puckerman or any of the clubs or sports that he's involved in without permission from himself, his parents, his manager, or his lawyer."

"I signed no such thing," Sue scoffed.

"Yes you did," Figgins picked up a folder on his desk and held it out to her, "I have a copy, Mr. Puckerman has a copy, there is one at his lawyers office, and also one in your file at the district office. You signed it in August of this year, and the same one August of last year," Figgins said. "That is your signature at the bottom, isn't it?"

Sue looked over the paper, vaguely remembering singing it and nodded, "yes, it is my signature."

"Read the paragraph at the bottom talking about the ramifications of breaking the contract out loud so we can all hear it," Ethan snapped.

Sue skimmed to the bottom, "_if any part of this contract is violated, the employee will be permanently terminated from employment of William McKinley High School and Lima School District, effective immediately, without possibility of being rehired,_" she read and then her eyes flicked to the Principal, "you've got to be kidding me!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding, Sue?" Figgins retorted, his face with a serious look on it. "All this time, I thought Mr. Schuester was overreacting about the issues he was having with you, and frankly I was to willing to look past it because you kept winning, but now you have gone too far. You have embarrassed yourself and disgraced the name of William McKinley!"

She threw the folder down on his desk, "a failed president!"

"Oh please, the greatest one who ever lived," Figgins retorted, rolling his eyes. "From this moment on you are hereby terminated from this school and the school district."

"I beg your pardon?" She glared at him.

"You are terminated from this school and the school district. My word is official," Figgins slapped his hand on his desk, "let it be written."

"I will be contacting the superintendent immediately to report this ridiculous decision," Sue snapped.

"Actually, Ms. Sylvester," the head of the district spoke up, still on the phone, "you don't need to, because I have heard everything that has been said in this entire conversation and you fully admitted to everyone here that you violated the contract you signed two different times to help protect Mr. Noah Puckerman and I am appalled at your lack of concern on the safety of the students on a school trip and for interfering with the success of New Directions! You _are_ terminated from your employment with Lima School District effective immediately."

Sue's mouth fell open as she listened to him and shook her head, "okay, if this is the way you wanna play it..." She looked around at the three men and then backed up to the office door, "okay..." She trailed off, pointing at Figgins before pulling the door open and storming out.

...

After school, once dropping his girlfriend off in the choir room with some of the Gleeks who had walked with them, Noah jogged out to his SUV to grab his guitar and drop off his bag, noticing his dad's SUV in the visitor parking area. "_I wonder how long he's been here,_" he thought as he headed back into the school and made his way towards the choir room, finding most of the club there, "hey guys," he greeted those he hadn't seen for a few hours, then moved to his girlfriend, "my dad's here," he told her.

"Really? I wonder how long he has been," she replied, "do you think they're talking to Ms. Sylvester?" She asked.

"Probably," he said, "I hope so."

"Noah! Come on, we're gonna jam," Artie called over from where he was sitting with a guitar in his lap, Ryan had his guitar, Finn was sitting at the drums, while Matt and Mike were sitting on stools waiting for him.

Noah stood up and kissed his girlfriend's cheek, moving towards the empty stool, pulling out his acoustic guitar and soon the guys were jamming away with an upbeat rhythm and melody on their instruments, Matt was kind of beat-boxing and Mike was dancing along, and the girls were soon up dancing to the music, too.

Ethan and Will stepped into the classroom, seeing the teens huddled around the guys playing instruments and smiled at the fun they were having, wishing they didn't have to break it up to tell them the bad news, but they didn't have a choice. "Hey guys," Will called out as the two men moved towards them.

"Hey Mr. Schue, Mr. Puckerman," a few of them said as they all stopped, looking at the adults.

Ethan nodded at them, "hey everyone," he replied.

"Come take seats," Will motioned to the seats in the class, "we need to talk to you."

Slowly the guys put their guitars away, and Finn moved from the drums and everyone took seats in their semi-usual spots, "so what's going on?" Finn asked.

Ethan took a seat on the piano bench, slightly behind where Will was standing, and Will looked at the teens, "alright, well, as you know, someone leaked information about Noah and also our setlist. After some research and emails from the other two schools' directors, it was confirmed that Ms. Sylvester did release the setlist to the other schools and she announced that Noah would be at the auditorium this weekend on several public Puck websites."

Gasps echoed across the room as everyone soaked in what he said; sure, speculation was one thing, but now that they were for sure she had done it, it was a shock to everyone.

"So what happens now?" Quinn asked, her, Brittany and Santana dressed in their Cheerio uniforms, now looking out of place compared to the rest.

"If Sue had only released the setlist, Principal Figgins probably would have suspended her or put a report in her file-" Will started.

"What do you mean, probably would have?" Santana snapped, cutting Will off.

The director held up his hands, "please, let me explain... Because she not only released the setlist, she also put everyone in danger for her little stunt when she leaked personal information about Noah that she did not have permission to. When Noah started school here last year, and then again this year, myself and every other staff member signed a confidentiality contract that Noah's lawyers, his manager, his parents, the head of the school district and Principal Figgins agreed upon. It states that we can not release anything regarding Noah, unless we have permission from him, his parents, and so on. This also includes any clubs he's in or sports he's on. If any staff member violates the contract, their employment with the school district is terminated without chance of behind rehired, so from that, I think you can understand that Ms. Sylvester no longer is employed here at McKinley or anywhere in the district."

"What?" Santana exclaimed.

"But we have Nationals in January, we can't go without a coach!" Quinn yelled.

"I know," Will nodded, "and I'm sorry, but every staff member, including Ms. Sylvester signed the contract and agreed to the terms. She violated them, and the superintendent of the school district has agreed with her termination, so it is final. Figgins is looking for a coach or someone in the school who would be willing to become an advisor for the Cheerios long enough to get you to Nationals in New Mexico until we can find someone to replace her."

Quinn sagged against her boyfriend and sighed, "why did she have to do it? Seriously? Why was she so stupid?"

"I don't know. I know she hated the idea that we might be successful and take the spotlight from the Cheerios, so all year and even part of last year, she was doing anything she could to break-up the club and she almost did it. When I tried to go to Figgins about her, he'd look past it, but now he can't and he's sorry he let it get this far. And don't blame Noah for this, he had nothing to do with it. He had no idea the contracts even existed. Sue put all of us in danger by what she did, so we should be thankful that Ethan prepared for something like that," Will said, standing up for the one person in the room who might be targeted for getting her fired.

Noah was sitting in the front row, Rachel one side of him, Finn on the other, but as soon as Will had started talking, he looked down, unsure if the Cheerios in the room would blame him, but he appreciated Will sticking up for him. Rachel squeezed his hand and he returned the gesture before looking up, "thanks Mr. Schue," he said softly, then looked at his dad, "what's the official statement?" He asked, knowing there would be one.

Ethan shrugged, "she was fired for cheating, by giving your competition the songs the club would be performing at Sectionals and for violating the terms of a contract she signed by releasing personal information about you without our permission and putting the safety of students in danger because of it," he replied, "the truth."

"Oh, yes, let's just paint an even bigger target on me!" Noah shook his head and sat back. "Now half the school is gonna hate me for getting her fired, because that's all their gonna focus on. I hate sounding selfish, but damn it," he hissed, pressing the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"I don't hate you or blame you, and I don't think Santana or Brittany does either. She did put us all in danger. I've seen how crazy fans can be," Quinn told him, leaning around Finn to look at Noah as she spoke.

"She's right," Santana agreed, "it pisses me off that she got fired, but I don't blame you for it," she said.

"Why would I hate you? You're a friend and you're awesome," Brittany said seriously.

Noah smirked lightly at Brittany's comment, "thanks girls. I deal the most with you three, so your opinion counts, but out there," he motioned out in the hall, "who knows what people will think?"

"If anyone gives you shit, we'll take care of them," Santana says, motioning to some of the club who were 'jocks' in the school, Finn, Matt, Mike, her, Quinn, Brittany and Ryan.

"Thanks," Noah smiled at all of them.

Will stood in front of the club with his hands in his pockets, waiting for them to finish talking, "I have some more news," he said, continuing when he got their attention again, "with everything that has gone on, even though most of the stress has been because of Sue, Principal Figgins thinks I should have some back up, a co-director of sorts, someone who could help run the club if I was sick one day, so you guys could still practice, or back me up if something happens-"

"But Mr. Schue, you're doing a great job. Maybe now that Ms. Sylvester isn't here, we won't have problems," Finn said.

"What if we don't like the new person?" Kurt asked.

"Guys, calm down," Will laughed lightly, "look, Figgins is right. I could use some help and to be honest, Saturday freaked me out a little," he rubbed his neck nervously, "and if that is any indication as to what will happen when we go to Regionals, I could use someone around who's familiar with that life and we'll need parent chaperones, anyway, so Ethan will be joining us as co-director. I'm not sure if all of you know, but Noah's parents were members of the Glee Club at the same time I was going to McKinley, but they were two years ahead of me. Ethan was a member when he was a Junior and I was a Freshman. He can help out just like any parent volunteer can for other clubs we have here," he explained.

"I'll only do it if you guys are alright with it, especially, you, Noah," Ethan said, looking at his son, "I know being back home, you wanted freedom, so if you don't want me to do this, I won't," Ethan told him honestly.

"I'm cool with it," Noah smiled, "welcome to the club," he told his dad.

"Yeah, welcome, dad," Finn replied with a grin.

The others in the room also welcomed him to the club, all agreeing it would be great to have another director with different ideas to help out in giving them more variety, now that they knew who it was.

...

Noah pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's lips, "I gotta go," he murmured.

"I know," she continued to hold her arms around his neck, kissing him again.

His arms remained around her, not wanting to let go, "but this feels too good," he whispered.

Rachel nodded, her lips pressing against his and reluctantly letting him go, "it does, but you do have to go."

He sighed, "are you sure you don't want to come over? You know you're welcome," he said.

"I know I am, but he's your friend and I'm sure you'd like to catch up with him without your girlfriend, especially because he and his girlfriend just broke up, even if it was mutual," Rachel responded.

"It sucks they did," he told her softly, "have you talked to her since they split?"

"We've emailed back and forth a few times," she replied, "she does still have feelings for him, but they are both in a busy time of their lives."

Noah wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again, "you don't have to worry about that happening to us," he told her truthfully.

Rachel smiled at the sentiment, "I know," she replied, then looked at him, "Noah, you're stalling."

"Damn, you caught me," he laughed lightly, "alright, I'm going. I love you."

"I love you, too. See you tomorrow," she agreed, "tell everyone 'hi' for me," she pressed a final kiss to his lips before she nudged him towards the stairs of her porch.

Noah smirked, but moved down the stairs and turned around, "I will. See you, babe," he replied continuing to his SUV and got in. She had unlocked her door and waved at him as he started to pull away and he returned her wave before leaving her place and heading home.

...

It's just a few days after Sue Sylvester got fired for releasing information about him. Noah was nervous the next day at school, but was surprised to find that most of the students thanked him for being part of the reason why she was fired, so his apprehension was for nothing and he relaxed as the day wore on.

Now it's Wednesday and Taylor and his family would be arriving at the Puckerman's around four and Noah wanted to be home when they got there. He and his parents invited Rachel over, but she declined so he and Taylor could have some time to catch up, especially since Taylor and Taylor Swift, had broken up mutually, and it would give Noah and Taylor a chance to have some guy time without Rachel being the third wheel.

As Noah pulled into his driveway and parked, the Lautners hadn't arrived, but he had gotten a text from Taylor that they were close, so he knew it wouldn't be long.

"Let me guess, you didn't want to leave Rachel?" Ethan asked with a laugh.

Noah blushed as he walked inside the house to find his parents in the kitchen and his sister in the living room, "not really. I think she feels bad that the Taylors just broke up and wants to give us some catch up time without making him uncomfortable. I doubt he would be, though."

"It could be that she feels she's monopolizing your time and would like to give you some space," Ethan commented.

"But I don't want space; at least not from her. I want to be around her," Noah replied.

"I know you do," Ethan replied, "hey, if Taylor's up for it, go to her house and surprise her."

Noah grinned, "I like that idea, we'll see what Taylor's up for," he replied, "I'm gonna go throw my stuff in my room," he said.

...

The Lautners arrived just after four and after Noah opened the gate from the controls in the house, he headed outside to meet them when Daniel, Taylor's dad, was pulling the rental SUV up to the house. Noah motioned to where he could park and as the SUV came to a stop, Noah walked over and met Taylor and Makena as they got out first, "hey guys, welcome to Lima," Noah greeted them.

"Hey man," Taylor walked over to them and did the typical handshake slash pat on the back as they reached each other, "nice town. Saw some of it as we were passing through."

"Thanks. It's home," he replied with a smile, "glad you guys made it." Noah gave Makena a hug and then hugged Deborah and shook Daniel's hand as the two parents joined them.

Ethan, Deborah and Arin came out and greeted everyone. Arin and Makena knew each other, having met a few times when the families had been together, and they had similar tastes to movies, music and TV shows, so they hit it off right away and both headed inside to watch TV.

Taylor laughed as they disappeared and looked at Noah, "seriously. It's like a match made in heaven. Does she try and watch all those Disney movies all the time?"

"Oh yeah. There's a reason why I have a TV in the basement with my XBox hooked up to it," Noah laughed. "Does it feel weird to gripe about them watching Hannah Montana when we know Miley?" Noah asked.

"Yes it does," Taylor agreed, helping everyone take in their luggage.

After showing them to the rooms they'd be using while there, Noah gave them a quick tour of the main level of the house and the basement before the parents found seats in the kitchen to chat and Noah and Taylor remained downstairs. "So where's Rachel? I thought you two were like attached at the hip," Taylor joked.

Noah laughed, "she's at home. She wanted to give us some time to catch up. She didn't want you to be uncomfortable since you and Taylor just split up."

Taylor shrugged, "it's fine. Rachel's cool. She has nothing to do with the reason why we split. Right now Taylor and I are just friends. We both have feelings for each other, but the media is just taking a toll on our relationship, so we decided to just 'break up' for now and maybe get back together later. I still love Taylor, and I know she feels the same way about me, so in a few years when our lives settle down, maybe we'll try a relationship again; until then, we'll stay friends," he explained.

"Or have a super-secret relationship," Noah smirked.

"Or that," Taylor agreed, "so she has nothing to worry about," he added.

"After dinner we can go over," Noah said, "she's usually up until ten."

...

The guys were able to talk, and this time they could talk about anything without worrying about someone in the media over hearing. Usually their personal conversations were kept between texts and emails, but now there were no cameras, paparazzi or fans to interrupt. Taylor noticed Noah's game collection and they soon were just two teen guys discussing why they liked or disliked certain games and game systems.

They were called upstairs for dinner and the two families ate together, enjoying the major change from the last time the eight of them had been around each other; in a busy restaurant with Noah and Taylor trying to keep from being spotted.

As dinner came to an end and the dishes were cleaned up, Noah said he and Taylor were going out, but Ethan and Deborah knew where they'd end up: Rachel's. Taylor got a kick out of that as he got into the passenger seat of Noah's SUV. "So you only go to Rachel's house?" He asked.

Noah shrugged, "kind of. It's the holiday season so I don't want to press my luck by going to the mall or something. I go to the store and stuff with mom or dad and don't have problems any more, but now it's the holidays," he explained.

"That makes sense," Taylor agreed, "so what's there to do around here?"

"Not much," Noah laughed, "well, there's a movie theater, a bowling alley, ice rink, roller skating rink, a mall and other stuff, too. I mean, compared to LA or NYC were tiny, but Lima is one of the larger Ohio towns, or at least, in the Northwest part of Ohio."

It was dark outside, but as Noah passed a few places he'd gone, he'd point them out and then turned towards Rachel's house and pulled up behind her car. The two guys got out, and headed up to the front porch and Noah knocked lightly.

Hearing footsteps behind the door, Noah smiled at Alan who opened it, "hey Alan."

"Hey Noah, I didn't think you were coming over tonight," he glanced at Taylor, "and you must be Taylor."

"Yes sir," Taylor nodded.

"Come on in guys," he said stepping aside.

The two teen boys stepped into the house and Alan closed the door. "Alan, this is Taylor Lautner. Taylor, this is Rachel's dad, Alan Berry," Noah said introducing them.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Taylor. I've heard a lot about you," Alan admitted, shaking Taylor's hand.

"Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Berry. I've heard about you, too. You're a lawyer, right?" Taylor asked.

"I am," Alan smiled, "and please, call me Alan. We're not that formal around here. I'd introduce you to Rachel's other dad, but he's still at the hospital."

"Why is he working so late?" Noah asked surprised.

"Since he took the next two weeks off for the holiday while we're in New York, he's working in the ER for a few hours a night this whole week," Alan explained, "you guys are welcome to go on up. She's packing and last I heard, she was watching 'Grease'," he added, motioning to the stairs.

"Thanks, Alan," Noah nodded at him and he headed for the stairs and started up them and Taylor followed him. Getting to the top of the stairs, Noah, familiar with her bedroom door, heard Taylor laugh lightly, "she has a thing for gold stars," Noah commented.

"I couldn't tell," Taylor smirked, seeing the large gold star on her door with her name scrolled on it, with smaller gold stars attached randomly all over her door, almost like the night sky.

Noah knocked on the door a few times, and was about to knock again when it opened, "hey beautiful."

"Noah! What are you doing here?" She pulled the door open the rest of the way and grinned.

Stepping in, he wrapped her up in a loving hug and kissed her, "came over to say 'hi'," he murmured against her lips before letting her go to move further into the room, seeing her bed covered in suitcases and sure enough, her TV had 'Grease' playing.

"Welcome Taylor! Glad you guys made it," she smiled, seeing Taylor next. "I didn't think you two would be coming over to night," she admitted, giving him a welcoming hug, "sorry, I'm not quite dressed for company," she added.

"It's okay. Looks like you're wearing workout clothes, no worries," Taylor told her, "and figured we'd stop over. I was surprised you weren't at the house when we got there, too."

Rachel brushed her hands through her hair and shrugged, "I know what happened between you and Taylor and... the first time I met you both you two were together, and I didn't want you to feel weird or anything," she explained.

"Thanks, I appreciate the concern, but it's alright," he went on to tell her what he'd told Noah a few hours prior and shrugged, "you make one of my best friends happy, so you're cool to hang around," Taylor replied with a smile.

"Thank you, Taylor," Rachel smiled, "I apologize for the mess, I was packing and decided to watch Grease, too. Right now it's where Sandy leaves Danny at the drive-in."

Noah knew that Taylor hadn't seen Grease, so while Rachel was still looking at Taylor, Noah was behind her making the 'don't say anything' hand signals, but Taylor didn't catch on quick enough, "I've never seen 'Grease'," Taylor said simply, looking at the screen.

"You what?" Rachel exclaimed in shock, "everyone must at some point!"

Noah sighed, looking at Taylor, "_well, I know what we're going to watch,_" he thought.

"I've seen parts, because my mom and sister have watched it before, but I never watched the whole thing. I know the idea, but I didn't pay too much attention to it," he replied, "though I know it's huge, so I should watch it."

Rachel picked up some things on her desk chair and patted the empty seat, "have a seat," she picked up the DVD remote, "well, you guys have time, so we can watch it from the beginning. I do apologize for singing through some of the songs. I have the tendency to do that. Would you guys like anything to eat or drink?"

"I'll just have water," Taylor replied.

"Same," Noah replied. Rachel nodded and headed from her room and once he heard her going downstairs he looked at Taylor, "what did you not get about the 'don't say anything' hand signals?" Noah groaned, "do you know how many times I've watched this movie in the past few months?"

Taylor sat back in her cushioned chair, "I didn't think she'd make us watch it now," he admitted with a laugh.

Noah smirked, "oh yeah," he kicked his shoes off and closed her suitcases so he could take a spot in the middle of her bed.

Rachel returned and passed a water to Taylor and Noah before she took a seat next to her boyfriend and she hit the play button, the movie starting at the beginning.

Soon Taylor had his feet propped up on the box at the end of her bed and Noah was kicked back against the headboard of her bed, while she sat next to him. Rachel couldn't help taking a few 'candid' pictures of Taylor; it wasn't every day a famous actor was in her room, only an award winning pop star; there was a difference.

As Rachel warned, she couldn't help singing along with a few of the songs that Olivia Newton-John sang in the movie and Taylor was amazed at her voice, since he'd never heard her sing before.

When the movie neared the end and Sandy came out dressed in her black outfit and she and Danny sang 'You're The One That I Want', Noah and Rachel exchanged glances at the song, both saying, "Regionals," at the same time.

"Whoa, did you guys plan that?" Taylor laughed.

"No," Rachel blushed.

Noah shook his head, "no. But I think it would be a great song for us to sing at Regionals," he admitted.

Rachel nodded, "yes, I think so, too. We could suggest it in Glee after school tomorrow," she suggested.

"Alright, might help out, because once we get back to school after break, we only have about six weeks to come up with songs and dance routines," Noah reminded her.

"I know," she sighed, "I wish it was a little later than the middle of February," she replied.

Noah kissed her, "we'll work it out," he said looking across to see Taylor's eyes glued to the TV as the final scene of the movie came to a close and the credits began to roll, "you ain't turnin' into a chick over there, are you?" He asked with a grin.

"Huh? What? Oh, no," Taylor laughed, registering what he asked as he sat up, "no, I'm not, but it's a good movie, now that I've actually sat down and watched it."

Rachel grinned, "I knew you'd like it."

Noah stretched his arms a little and sighed when he noticed her alarm clock read just after nine-thirty, "it's late, we should probably go," he said softly.

Taylor really enjoyed just sitting back and watching a movie in someone's place, no need to rush for anything, and Noah didn't want to go, but he knew it was late, and they'd see each other the next day at school, so the two teen boys slowly got up and got ready to leave.

Rachel led them downstairs, where her dad was kicked back on the couch watching TV, "dad, daddy still isn't home?" She asked.

"No, I don't figure he'll be home for a while longer," Alan admitted, "you guys leaving?"

Noah nodded, "yeah, it's after nine-thirty, and we have school tomorrow," Noah replied.

"You do, but it's your last day of classes, isn't it?" Alan asked.

"Yeah, Friday is the concert, so while everyone is in class, I'll be doing soundcheck," Noah explained.

"Really?" Rachel looked at her boyfriend.

Noah laughed, "what did you think I was going to do?"

Rachel opened her mouth, but paused before she spoke, "I... I didn't really think about it, actually. I knew that you'd be missing classes, and that's obviously something that is done before a concert, but I just figured you'd be setting up."

He shook his head, "nope, that will be done early Friday morning, so it'll be ready when we all get to school at seven, then I'll have four hours to run through the songs and rearrange things if necessary before lunch."

"I see," Rachel nodded, "seems like you've got everything planned out. I really hope the school enjoys the concert. I know I'm looking forward to it," she admitted.

"I can't wait for you to see me in action, either. You should have gone to the concert Kurt, Tina and Mercedes went to," he winked at her.

She blushed, "I know. Now I wish I had, but on the other hand, I get to see you perform Friday," she replied with a smile.

"Good point," he agreed, wrapping his arms around her. Knowing they had to leave, and they had an audience, he gently pressed his lips to hers, "love you, see you tomorrow."

"Love you, too," she replied hugging him for a moment before letting go.

Taylor gave Rachel a quick hug and after saying 'goodnight' to both Rachel and Alan, the two teens headed for Noah's SUV and began their trip back to the Puckerman's house.

"Does she or the rest of the club have any idea that I'm coming to Glee tomorrow?" Taylor asked.

Noah smirked, "not a clue, so expect to shock a few people tomorrow," he told his friend.

...

Underlined text is from Glee 1x13 - Sectionals.

...

A/N4: It has been a long week. I'm sick again and can't get into the doctor yet, so I'm just so 'blah' lately, but thankfully I had a few chapters almost ready to post. Hope you guys liked the new chapter. Let me know what you think. **Up next:** Taylor surprises New Directions and the teens decide on their songs for Regionals.

A/N5: Happy Birthday, Mark Salling! Today (August 17th) Mark is celebrating his 28th birthday.

A/N6: I had a fic idea come to me and I couldn't shake it, so I'm working on it; it's going to be a lot darker than anything I've ever written, but I hope I do the topic justice. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in the Glee fan fic world, and I hope to have it posted soon. It's for my fic table, and will be another one-shot. Might want to add me to your author alerts so you know when I post it, because I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about it.

...


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

"_Could I have everyone's attention please?_" Principal Figgins voice came over the intercom about ten minutes before the last class of the day got out and Noah knew what it was for. Rachel, along with Mike, Brittany, Kurt and Mercedes also knew, but no one else did; everyone at school was speculating why two large unmarked semi-trucks were parked near the gym; both with New York license plates and police guarding them.

"_You may have seen the papers floating around the school with an odd schedule on them. All six classes will be shortened down to fifteen minutes tomorrow, with ten minutes between each class, and after sixth period, you will have lunch at almost your normal time and from eleven on, everyone will be in the gymnasium for a concert. As many of you have noticed, there are two large trucks parked near the gym with New York license plates and have police officers guarding them. They contain equipment for the concert. It has been a plan for some time, and now you all are getting a special treat. Mr. Noah Puckerman, as many of you know as 'Puck', will be putting on a concert for McKinley tomorrow as a holiday gift. This is only for students of McKinley and staff, and after the concert, he will sign autographs, pose for pictures and allow only you to experience something that not many have had the opportunity to see... Don't forget your cameras and Noah will be glad to sign a few things of yours, or he'll have his own pictures to sign; just remember, this is a school, so I don't want to see anyone wanting inappropriate things signed... There will be many new faces in the building tomorrow, but everyone here with Noah will be wearing a special pass so you know why they are here. Be respectful and remember, Noah is one of us, so let's make this a fun and enjoyable time for everyone involved,_" he paused, "_and staff, immediately after school will be a meeting in the lounge, please come up as soon as your classes are empty_," the principal finished.

A loud click over the intercom ended the announcement, and the entire class erupted in various states of excitement, many of them turning to ask him if he's really doing the concert.

"Yes, I am," Noah nodded from his seat in the back of the class room.

"Thank you!" "This is so awesome!" "You're awesome, Noah!"

"Thanks everyone," Noah replied, "it's for you, so I hope you enjoy it."

"We will!"

As the bell rang to end class, everyone got up and made their way out to the hallway, but Noah tried to stall, "oh come on, scaredy cat," Mercedes laughed, nudging him towards the door.

Noah sighed and threw his bag over his shoulder as Mike and Brittany went out of the classroom first and then Noah and Rachel followed, with Kurt and Mercedes behind them. As soon as Noah was in the hallway, everyone started screaming and cheering for him, but thankfully no one was rushing towards him. He waved at them all, "hope you guys all enjoy the show tomorrow!" He called out. "_This went over great,_" Noah thought, "_they're excited, but no one is trying to tackle me. I love my school,_" he smiled, as they all paused at Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes' lockers.

School normally thinned out pretty quickly, so even though they were buzzing, and students were passing by, waving at him, thanking him or giving him high-fives, they were still going home, excited for the next day, which was also the last day of school before two weeks off.

Rachel closed her locker as she finished switching out books and looked at him, "are you ready for Glee?" She asked.

"I have to stop at my locker and get my books," he thought for a moment, "and then get something out of my car for Glee," he said.

"Oh, alright. Do you need help?" She asked.

"Sure, I could use an extra set of hands," he nodded.

Tina and Artie had joined them, and then once they had their things, the whole group made their way to where the other lockers were, which was also on the way to the choir room. Noah only had a few classes with homework over the break, so once he had his books and binders in his bag, he and Rachel excused themselves to head out to his SUV, so he could drop off his bag and get what he needed.

"What do you have to get?" Rachel asked.

Noah smiled, "remember when I first gave you all my CDs and DVDs and I told you I had another concert DVD coming out soon?" He asked.

"Yes, you said later this year," she replied.

"I just got my case in the mail last week, and it's being released on Tuesday, so I'm giving everyone a copy of it, and besides you and Finn, I've never given anyone anything signed, just signed some of their stuff, so I'm giving them all copies of my CDs and all three DVDs," he said reaching the SUV and unlocking the back end.

Rachel smiled, "that's a great gift, Noah," she commented, setting her own bag in the back, since she wouldn't need it for Glee and he had picked her up that day.

In the back end was a storage box fully of many gift bags, exactly the same. Noah pulled out something and handed it to her, "this one is yours," he smiled.

Rachel took it and noticed the familiar autograph she had on all the to her things he'd given her, but then at the bottom she saw Hebrew, saying 'Happy Hanukkah'. "Happy Hanukkah, to you, too, Noah," she replied pressing a kiss to his lips, "thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied picking up a few bags and handing them to her, "I want to leave the box here, so we can carry these in," he told her.

Rachel took a few bags and counted what she had and what he had, "I think you have the right amount," she commented.

"I do. I double checked like three times before I left home," he laughed, before making sure she had her purse and closing the back end of his SUV. Walking together, they started back to the school, but they made a slight detour to the visitor parking area.

"Noah, what are we doing?" Rachel asked.

He motioned towards his dad's SUV, "to get something from dad's SUV," he said.

"Oh, alright, do you have his keys?"

"Don't need them," Noah shifted all the bags to one hand and then instead of going to the back end or the backseat, he knocked on the front passenger window and motioned to someone inside to get out.

It only took seconds for Rachel to realize who it was; Taylor, and as she watched him hop out of the SUV and hand Noah his dad's keys, her mouth fell open.

"Surprise for the club," Noah smirked, seeing her face.

"Ethan had to be at the staff meeting, so I came with him and the plan was to hang in the car until school was out and Noah came to get me," Taylor explained putting his headphones away and slipping his iPhone back into his pocket.

"You do realize that Kurt might collapse, right?" Rachel grinned.

"Hopefully not," Noah laughed, slipping his free arm around Rachel's shoulders as the three walked into the school.

"Nice hat, Taylor," Rachel said.

Taylor smirked, "thanks. I figured it probably wasn't a good idea to wear a Michigan hat, so I picked up an OSU hat when I saw one at a sports store last week," he admitted.

"Good call," Noah replied as they reached the choir room, "hang out here a second, man, let Rachel and I go in and make sure everyone is here."

"Yeah, cool," Taylor nodded, and leaned against the wall.

The couple walked into the room and moved to the piano and set the bags on it.

"Presents?" Kurt grinned, "what are they?"

Noah laughed, "you'll have to wait and see."

"Is it a duck?" Brittany asked.

"No, it's not a duck, sorry Brittany," he replied calmly, trying not to burst out laughing. Letting his eyes drift around the room, he confirmed that everyone was there, minus Mr. Schuester and his dad, "I have a surprise for you all," Noah said. Confused at what he was saying, everyone watched Noah walk to the door and motion for someone outside. "Though I don't think he needs an introduction, I'd like to introduce one of my best friends, Taylor Lautner," Noah replied as Taylor walked into the room.

"Oh my God!" "Are you serious?" "Am I seeing things?" "No way!"

Finn got up calmly, "hey Taylor, nice to see you again," he said shaking his hand and patting him on the back.

Taylor smiled at him, "you, too, Finn. Can't believe it's been like five months since I saw you last," he admitted.

Finn thought for a moment, "wow, it really has been five months."

"Is he talking to him?" "Did I miss something?" "Oh my God!" "Does he know him?"

Rachel giggled from where she was, because all Kurt was saying was 'oh my God', but they expected it.

Taylor looked around, "hey everyone," he said, "it's nice to finally meet all of you," he looked around the room, names popping into his head as he saw everyone in person; Noah had given him a brief explanation of each member, and it helped that Noah was friends with all of them on Facebook and he had pictures of them posted on his page, "hopefully I remember everyone's names," he replied, "Quinn, Santana and Brittany," he said looking at the three girls in Cheerios uniforms, then turned to the next few, "Matt, Mike," he nodded at them; easy to tell since they were in their Letterman's jackets, matching Noah's and Finn's. "Artie, Ryan," he smiled at them, not recognizing Ryan by looks, only by knowing he was the newest member to the group, "and Mercedes, Tina and Kurt," he finished, "I think I got them right, right?"

Artie, Matt, Mike and Ryan were the first to move towards the teen actor, "yeah you got it all right," Mike said, "nice to meet you, man."

Taylor shook their hands and nodded at them, relaxing. He had been a bit nervous to meet them, even if he knew they were 'cool' from Noah's point of view. He still was apprehensive to meet new people, because, like Noah, he was used to screaming fans.

The last six in the room got up as the guys cleared away, not wanting to crowd around Taylor all at once. He offered hugs to the girls, who were all still pretty shocked, but Taylor was one of the guys they all liked, so this was a big deal. "When Noah said you were coming, and then when you said 'see you soon New Directions' on TV, we were all shocked, but it's really awesome that you're here. It's an honor to meet you," Tina said hugging him.

Taylor smiled at her, "thanks, and it is awesome to be here. It really nice to finally meet the people Noah talks about," he explained.

Noah's eyes widened in shock, "did you just call me Noah?"

"Yeah, I did. That is your name, right?" Taylor asked curiously.

"Well, yeah, it is, but you've always called me Puck," Noah admitted.

"Yeah, but after seeing you in LA last month, it finally clicked that I'm best friends with Noah, and Puck is just part of you. I should have been calling you Noah all along, but you were introduced to me as Puck and you never corrected it, or told me you'd rather be called Noah, so I just went with it, but now, seeing you at home, with your friends and family, it's time I start using your real name," Taylor explained.

Noah walked over to him and held out his hand, "hi, I'm Noah Puckerman, one of your best friends. Born and raised in Lima, Ohio and am a Junior at William McKinley High School. When I'm not spending time with my girlfriend, friends, or family, going to school or hanging out in Lima, the rest of the time, I'm Puck, international pop star," Noah grinned.

Taylor laughed lightly, but shook his hand, "it's nice to meet you, Noah."

"Awww..." "That's so sweet..."

"I think we just witnessed history in the making," Finn commented with a grin.

"Does anyone have a camera with them?" Mercedes asked, "because I'm not going to deny I want a picture with Taylor and Noah," she commented with a grin.

"I have mine in my bag," Rachel admitted.

For the next little bit, each member of the group stood between Taylor and Noah and got their picture taken with Rachel's camera; this was the whole point of Taylor coming that day; he could meet Noah's close friends without being overwhelmed with other students wanting his attention once they found out he was also there.

Will and Ethan still hadn't arrived from the meeting and it was well after the time the club should have started, but they still had time, so Noah moved over to the piano where the gift bags were sitting, "I've got something for you guys," he said.

"What are they?" Tina asked.

"Since I don't celebrate Christmas, but most of you do, I decided for a holiday gift, I'd give you guys these. Most of you haven't asked me to sign anything for you, which is fine, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to give you each a copy of all my CDs and DVDs, signed by me," he explained handing out bags to everyone, minus Finn, Rachel and Taylor, but Noah handed Finn a copy of his new DVD.

"Whoa, when did you get this?" Finn asked looking at the back of the DVD cover.

"Got my shipment last week-"

"Oh my God! This isn't even out yet!" Kurt exclaimed.

Noah smirked, "no, the 'Who I Am' concert tour DVD isn't going to be released until Tuesday," Noah told them, "so I knew you guys wouldn't have that," he added.

A chorus of 'thank yous' came from everyone in the room, most of them looking over the new DVD. "Where was it filmed?" Finn asked as he looked it over.

"Same place my other one was filmed, too," Noah replied, "Columbus."

"What?" Kurt exclaimed, "this is from the concert tour you just ended before you came back to McKinley, right?"

Noah nodded, "yep, which means you, Tina, Mercedes, Finn, his mom and my family are there somewhere in the audience. I haven't watched it yet, but I'm sure we'll be able to see you guys."

Finn wasn't too surprised, but Tina, Mercedes and Kurt all had looks of shock on their faces, "um, do you," Mercedes glanced over to the TV by the front of the room, "do you think Mr. Schuester would mind if we put it in? I'm curious now," she admitted.

As Noah opened his mouth to respond, the man in question, along with his dad and manager walked into the room all carrying large boxes. Noah knew his dad and Will would be there, but seeing Elliott for the first time in months was a big shocker, "Elliott, what are you doing here?" Noah asked moving over to the man to greet him.

Elliott was in his late forties, with salt and pepper hair that he keeps short, is average build at just under six-feet tall and though was business most of the time, but currently he was dressed casually. He's been managing clients for almost twenty years and is working with several at the moment, and while he lets Ethan manage Noah's day-to-day life with anything from photo shoots, interviews, going to award shows, and so on, Elliott is able to work with his other clients and keeps in touch with Ethan and they discuss important things involving 'Puck' which is also why Elliott is there now; the concert isn't something normally done and he wants to be there to witness it.

The older man sat a box down that he was carrying and laughed lightly, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by," he replied, shaking Noah's hand. "Actually I was going to drop off all the passes and bracelets for tomorrow to your place, but your dad said he was coming up here with Taylor, so I stopped by to save a step," he explained.

"Oh, nice," Noah nodded, not really sure what to say, but then turned around, "uh, everyone, this is my official manager Elliott Case. Elliott this is New Directions," Noah explained, motioning around to the club sitting in various spots in the room.

Elliott nodded at everyone, "hello. It's nice to meet you. I've done my homework and hopefully I remember everyone's names," he said, looking at each one and saying their name, getting them all right, just like Taylor had. Elliott then turned to Rachel, "and you're Rachel Berry. It's about time I got to meet you," he said holding his hand out to her.

Rachel nodded and shook his hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Case. I've always heard about you, but I'm surprised it has taken us so long to meet," Rachel admitted.

"Please, call me Elliott, and that goes for everyone," he looked around, but turned to Rachel again, "I feel like I already know you from what Ethan, Deborah and Noah have said about you."

She blushed, "they talk about me?"

Elliott nodded, "it's all good, I promise," he replied with a smile, "Noah's in love and Ethan and Deborah say you're part of the family now."

"Both true," Noah replied walking over to the piano and picking up the final gift on the table and then moved to Will, "hey Mr. Schue, it's not much, but I wanted to give everyone a signed copy of my CDs and DVDs," he said.

"Thank you Noah," Will took the bag, and glanced inside, "I have your newest CD, but I admit, I don't have the others or the DVDs, so this is great," he replied with a smile.

"You're welcome," Noah then turned to Taylor, "Taylor, this is Mr. Will Schuester, Mr. Schue, this is one of my best friends, Taylor Lautner."

"Taylor, nice to finally meet you," Will admitted, shaking his hand.

"You, too, Mr. Schue, I've heard a lot about you," Taylor replied with a smile.

Once greetings were finally done and everyone was finally over the shock of Taylor being there, Will was able to start Glee, but it was a little different day than most. "Okay, guys, sorry for running late from our meeting, but Ethan, Elliott, Tim and Alex were talking to the staff about tomorrow, which brings us to our first order of business, Ethan," Will turned to him.

Ethan stood up and moved over to one of the boxes and pulled out a bundle of red plastic bracelets and a stack of 'All Access' passes hanging from black lanyards. "Alright, these," he held up the bracelets, "were given to the staff this afternoon and will be given to all the students tomorrow. This way we know you're supposed to be here, but these," he showed them the passes, "are only for close friends, family, and anyone involved directly with either Noah or Taylor and gives you access to them without question. On the front you'll see 'All Access' written over a picture of Noah and Taylor and then on the back," he flipped them over, "are your names. The bracelets are waterproof, so you can put them on now, or later, and I suggest that you not show the pass around to anyone tomorrow until the concert," Ethan added handing out the bracelets and then the passes to each of them, including Taylor and Noah and also gave Finn a bracelet and a pass with Carole's name on it for her, and gave Rachel the ones for her dads.

The teens put the bracelets on and passed around a pair of scissors to trim off the excess, "isn't this a little excessive?" Mercedes asked looking at the passes, "it mean, it's cool and all, but all this for a concert here at school?"

"This is a private event. There will be a lot of police and security guards here and have been told if they see anyone without a red bracelet or one of these passes, they're to be escorted to the office to either get a bracelet or find out why they are there. Now that the school knows that this is going on, word will spread and by tomorrow there may be a lot of people trying to come for the concert, but no one is being let into the gym without a bracelet on. If you have these passes, you'll get to sit with us and after the show, when the guys are signing autographs, you can be with them if you want. I know this seems like a lot, but this isn't just a concert at school. Even though Noah is a student here, and everyone has been very welcoming to him being here, once he puts himself out there as 'Puck' things are going to be a little different and Taylor being here is really going to stir up things, too, so this is more of a safety precaution than it is anything else. We want to keep everyone safe," Ethan replied retaking his seat at the piano, once everyone had their passes and bracelets.

"When you put it like that, it's not excessive," Mercedes agreed.

Settled down from that, Will moved into his office, and returned holding a DVD case, "I know this is the last meeting before the new year, so I figured we could discuss music for Regionals and maybe watch our performance from Sectionals," Will said.

"Oh, dude, this I gotta see," Taylor grinned.

Noah blushed as everyone took seats and now they knew why the TV was set up in front of the classroom; that had been Will's plan all along.

"Mr. Schuester, who filmed the performances?" Rachel asked.

Will set up the DVD in the player and took the remote to his seat, "the Show Choir Board always records the performances for the schools," Will explained.

"We don't have to watch the other schools do we?" Kurt asked.

"No," Will shook his head, "I don't think any of us want to watch that again," he replied, skipping right to the beginning of their performance.

The camera was focused on the stage, but as soon as Rachel came out from the back, it panned to her and followed her to the stage. The sound was amazing for what it was picking up, and everyone in the choir room cheered at the video, "I knew you could belt it on the fly," Kurt grinned, patting Rachel on the shoulder.

Rachel ducked her head with a blush, but then continued to watch the screen, holding her boyfriend's hand. As the rest of the club appeared on the screen and they moved into their next song, Noah's first solo came up and you could definitely hear the 'Puck' fans screaming in the background, but thankfully it didn't pick up too much and they were still able to hear Noah. After the final notes of their last song, the screen went black and it skipped right to the announcement of the winners and as New Directions was handed their trophy, the video stopped and went back to the menu, ending the short video.

Will stood up and turned the TV off, "after overcoming everything that happened this weekend, I think you guys did absolutely amazing. Regionals here we come. So now, I think we should start talking about some songs for it."

Rachel's arm went up before he could even finishing speaking, "Mr. Schuester, I have a few suggestions, or ideas I'd like to bring up."

"Not surprising," Noah laughed sitting back in his seat.

Will smiled, "alright, come on up, Rachel," he said, stepping aside.

Rachel let go of her boyfriend's hand and stood up, turning to face Will, "we're still required to have a ballad and two other songs, correct?"

"Yes we are," Will nodded.

"When we agreed before that Mercedes would sing the ballad for Sectionals, we went with it and with the unfortunate events of the weekend, I had to use one of my ballads for it. Since she was unable to sing hers," Rachel looked right at Mercedes, "you should get your chance to sing one, Mercedes," she smiled.

"I... Really? You guys want me to?" Mercedes asked in shock.

"All in favor of Mercedes singing the ballad for Regionals, raise their hand," Rachel said, holding up her hand. Everyone's hands flew up, including Ethan and Will. Even Taylor and Elliott did, having heard enough from her solo in 'Somebody to Love' to know she had a strong voice. "It's unanimous, you're singing the ballad," Rachel smiled.

"Thanks everyone, that means a lot, but I don't know what to sing now," she admitted.

"Well, there's all sorts of music to choose from; things that go back to Etta James, or even more current like Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera-"

"Hold up," Mercedes grinned, "I got one."

"Got what?" Rachel asked.

"The song. As soon as you said Christina Aguilera, I knew what song," she said, "it's from her second album. 'Beautiful'. I love that song," Mercedes explained.

"That would be a perfect ballad for Regionals," Will replied, "I say let's go for it. I can get the music and the band can start learning it as soon as we get back from the break," he said.

Rachel nodded, "and also, Taylor, Noah and I were watching Grease last night and Noah and I both had the same idea. 'Your The One That I Want' seems to be the best song from it that would be appropriate for a school competition and is already a duet, so we wouldn't have to do any arranging to go from a single vocalist to two, like we did for 'Keep Holding On'," Rachel explained.

"Some styles from the fifties are coming back and we could do poodle skirts, but then again, that won't be very good to wear for our other songs," Kurt commented.

"Actually, Regionals is set up differently than Sectionals," Will said, "it's set up into two rounds. The first round we'll perform our ballad and one other song, then after all the schools have performed they will rank us. The top fifteen go onto the second round and then we do one more song and the top five will go onto Nationals, so you will need two different outfits to wear. We could do the ballad and one more song on the first day and if we move onto the second round, we could do 'You're The One That I Want'," Will said, "are we going to use it?" Will asked.

"I think we should," Tina said.

"Me too. It'll be a fun song to do," Quinn agreed.

Will looked around for anyone to complain, but without one, he looked at Ethan, "you up for it?"

Ethan laughed, "sure. As long as it's not Disco we should be good."

Rachel retook her seat with a smile on her face and then looked at her boyfriend, "any other suggestions?" She asked him, but also the rest of the club.

"_Cause we belong together now, yeah. Forever united here somehow, yeah. You got a piece of me and honestly... My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you_..."

"Shit, sorry guys," Taylor tugged his phone from his pocket and ignored the call, "I'll call her back later," he said slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"Was that Kelly Clarkson?" Tina asked.

Taylor nodded, "yeah. It's my ringtone for um, my ex," he admitted.

"I like that song," Brittany said.

"That would be another fun song to do for Regionals," Quinn said, "it's upbeat. Easy to dance to and it's popular, so people will be familiar with it."

"But do we really want to do a popular song? I mean, what happens if someone else picks it?" Mercedes asked.

"I think we're safe with it," Ethan said, "it's not something someone would normally pick for competition," he added.

"I agree," Will nodded, "so let's go for it. Thanks for the idea, Taylor," he grinned.

"Uh, yeah, no problem," he laughed, "it's just my ringtone."

"Doesn't sound like someone's over their ex with a song like that," Santana commented.

"We're still friends and we both still have feelings for each other, so we'll see what the future brings," Taylor replied.

"Alright, well, over the break I'll try and get sheet music for the songs, so the band can start working on them once we get back," Will said.

"I know 'You're The One That I Want' on the guitar," Artie said.

"You do?" Will asked.

"Yeah, and I wouldn't mind playing the guitar for all the songs, actually. I mean, we do now have one more guy than girls and it's not as easy to choreograph a wheelchair into the numbers," Artie explained.

Will looked at him, "are you sure? We wouldn't have a problem coming up with something, but if you're sure you'd rather play guitar, it's up to you."

Artie pushed his glasses up and nodded, "I am, Mr. Schue. I like playing the guitar."

"Okay, we have our songs for Regionals and Artie is playing guitar, I think that makes for a successfully day, so if no one has anything else they'd like to discuss, then you guys are free to head out," Will said looking around.

"Noah, what are you singing tomorrow?" Tina asked curiously.

"Oh, some songs from my first album 'Puck', the second one 'What About Now' and my newest one, 'Who I Am'," he replied vaguely.

They laughed lightly, "I think we all know that, but what songs?" Quinn offered.

"That's for me to know and you guys to find out tomorrow. I want it to be a surprise. Most of the songs are from my new album. There are a few I'm doing that I have never performed before for certain reasons, but now I will," he explained.

"Are you going to shave your head?" Matt asked.

Rachel's eyes widened at the thought and everyone in the room seemed to be shocked at the question; they'd grown used to Noah, and the mohawk was something that set Puck apart from Noah; now that they were mixing Puck and Noah, no one knew.

"Nope, I'm not. Rest in peace, mohawk, it's gone for good," Noah said looking at Elliott with a 'don't even try to pull the manager card' look.

Elliott held up his hands, "I gave up that fight a long time ago," he laughed, "it's your head."

Noah nodded, "thank you."

Rachel relaxed; she'd seen pictures of him with his mohawk, but had never seen him in person with it and she didn't really want to. She knew it had been Puck's signature that set him apart from the other teen celebrities, but she didn't like it, so she was very glad to hear that he wasn't going to go back to it.

As it got later, the students slowly gathered their things and Ethan reminded them to remember their passes and to keep Taylor being there a secret.

Tim and Alex appeared in the choir room just as the kids were beginning to leave, meeting up with Elliott and Ethan. With greetings to them, the teens headed outside to their cars, and Taylor was catching a ride with Noah and Rachel, since Ethan was remaining at McKinley for a few more hours to go over some things.

As the kids dispersed, they waved at their friends, and promised to see them the next day and Taylor felt 'normal'. He didn't feel like 'Noah's visiting friend', and he liked it. Now he understood why Noah loved being back home, and calling these teens his friends.

...

Glee songs mentioned:

'Beautiful' - Mercedes (Original Christina Aguilera)

'My Life Would Suck Without You' - Rachel & Tina (Original Kelly Clarkson) (Lyrics mentioned as Taylor's ringtone, too.)

Non-Glee:

'You're The One That I Want' - Grease Soundtrack - Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta

Note: For those of you who have read/are reading 'Out of the Blue' you may remember that I had Puck and Rachel sing lead on 'YTOTIW' at Regionals. At the time I made the decision to use that song, I didn't know that in 'Journey', Olivia Newton-John would be one of the celebrity judges. Since I've seen the episode, I'm gonna use 'YTOTIW' here in 'Starlight', too, so it could stir up some things because Olivia Newton-John will be one of the judges at Regionals here in 'Starlight'.

Yes, I know I used this song in 'Out of the Blue', but now having seen 'Journey', I want to use the song again, and they are both my fics, so I'm free to borrow ideas or song choices between my stories, so I hope you guys don't mind.

...

A/N4: Let me know what you guys think. Chapter 22 and 23 will feature the concert. I was going to put it in one chapter, but will all that is going on, it got too long, so it will be split up, but hopefully not posted more than a few days apart. Once you see below you guys will see what my week as been like... Please read and review and let me know what you guys think!

A/N5: I got a rare opportunity today, August 22. Kitsap County, my county here in Washington State, is one of the first counties in the US to get a piece of the World Trade Center. On August 10, two 5,000-pound steel garters were loaded onto a flatbed semi-truck, covered with an American flag and left New York, bound for us. It arrived today, a little after four-pm with over 900 motorcycles as escorts, along with police, fire and other vehicles, that picked it up on the way. I was able to touch the flag and the rusty metal; and it was an honor to be there to witness that piece of history. On the 9th anniversary, which is coming up in a few weeks, the county will announce where it will be displayed as a memorial to the towers and those who lost their lives that day, and on it's 10th anniversary in 2011, the memorial will be complete. I can't wait to see it!

Please read this A/N6: On August 15, I got an idea for a one-shot for my fic table that I couldn't shake for any reason, so I started writing it out. I'm giving away the premise, but basically, Rachel's in New York and is about a month into her 2nd year of college, when she finds out her boyfriend back home, Puck, has been hiding a brain tumor from her for six months, and she only finds out because her dad feels she deserves to be there or not for the surgery he is going in for in a few days to remove it... This leads up to my real life situation... I'm an only child and my dad is disabled; he doesn't walk real well from some back and leg issues, and my mom is pretty much his caregiver. Still writing the fic, mentioned above, on August 19, I got the biggest shock of my life... My mom's gynecologist, found a mass in her cervix that they are pretty sure is cervical cancer, but until we get all the results from the biopsies and blood tests on Monday, August 23, we won't know for sure, and by Tuesday or Wednesday, we will be in Seattle (over an hour away) for possibly surgery to remove it. If she has surgery, she will be laid up for several weeks, which means I will be caring for her and my dad. I'm preparing them at work for me to take a leave of absence, if it comes down to it... I'm telling you this because when my mom woke me up at 9:30am on the 19th to tell me all this (her appointment had been earlier than that) the first thing that popped into my head aside from 'holy fucking shit' and 'I can't lose my mom' was 'now I know where I got the idea for my one-shot; it was a premonition to this news'. We won't know more until Monday. We're hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst... I'm sure I'll have a lot of time to write coming up soon, and will try and post as often as I can, at least once a week, but I wanted to let you know that in case you don't see updates from me for a while, you'll know why. This is being posted on Sunday, August 22, and I will try and get something written within the next week to post, even if it's just a few short scenes to keep the fic going. I always wondered when this day would come and now I'm faced with it. I truly appreciate all of your reviews and kind words, and aside from a few close friends here, you guys are my support, so please keep the reviews coming, I could really use them right now.

...


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: Warning: Lyrics heavy in this chapter! I am going to number each song and they will be listed at the bottom with the names of the songs and who sings them, so you can look them up if you want to. I'm not going to feature every lyric, but enough to get the song out there. Concert is in two parts, chapter 22 and 23.

**Similar note from chapter 15:  
**A/N5: In this universe, there is no 'American Idol'. Many of the songs I chose for Puck's albums are from contestants/winners of AI. With songs from other bands/singers/groups who were not on AI, I imagine they are just not part of the original artist's music.

...

The Puckerman house was mostly awake by six am. Noah's band, manager, bodyguards and others were staying at a hotel in town, so they were meeting them at school at seven, so Taylor, his dad Daniel, Ethan and Noah were leaving the house by six-thirty and their moms and sisters would follow later, once the girls got up.

Noah packed up his favorite electric guitar and acoustic electric guitar, making sure he had extra strings for both, and then set them by the door.

Taylor, Noah and their parents had breakfast and by six-thirty the guys were on their way to McKinley; Daniel and Ethan in his SUV with Noah and Taylor in Noah's. Noah followed his dad into a back staff parking lot by the gym that was being used for everyone and once they parked, the four got out and headed inside the gym, meeting up with the band, Elliott, Tim, Alex, his most recent tour manager, Principal Figgins, Emma and Will.

The gym was busy. All the stands were pulled out and between them at one end, the 'stage' was set up a few feet off the ground with stairs going up to it from several spots and aside from the stands, there were folding chairs set up on the floor right in front of the stage, with a slight gap between it and the first row, so Noah knew that would be where his close friends and family would be sitting and students would sit behind.

There were workers still all over, running cords down to the sound booth and the band was all hooked up to their wireless mics, so they were getting there, but they still had a little bit before they could practice. Noah got his wireless mic and ear buds in and got them hooked up before he and his guitar players sat down on stools on stage and tuned their instruments, catching up as they did while the rest of the band and Taylor stood around, and soon Will joined them, watching his student in a whole different aspect of his life.

Finishing up with their guitars, Noah glanced at his watch and saw what time it was, "if you guys will excuse me, I've got a girlfriend to go see," he commented with a grin.

"Dude, I can't wait to meet her. I never thought you'd ever date," Paul, one of his guitar players said.

Noah smirked, "I've heard that a lot and you will meet her later," he assured the guys as he headed for a large open box on the stage and scooped out a handful of guitar picks and put them in his pocket so he could give some to his friends when he saw them.

There was still some time before school started, so he headed to where he knew his girlfriend would be, at her locker, where the Glee club seemed to meet up before school started. He had his headset on and as walked through the halls he nodded at several of the students and some of the girls told him they couldn't wait for the concert, so he'd hand them a guitar pick and he felt great that no one was treating him any differently.

Rounding the corner and seeing his friends standing together, he walked right up to her and slipped his arms around her waist, "hey sexy," he murmured kissing her neck.

Rachel jumped at his voice, "Noah! I didn't expect to see you this morning," she turned around, seeing his ear buds and mic hanging around his neck.

"I could leave if you want me to," he motioned away, but didn't let go of her.

She giggled, "no, stay, I just thought you'd be working by now."

He shrugged, "they're still setting up a few things and the guys and I just got finished tuning our guitars, so I thought I'd come down and see you and everyone for a few minutes before classes start," he pulled a handful of picks out of his pocket and held them out, "and to give you guys these."

Everyone took one from his hand and looked at it, "wow, you guys had these made especially for today, huh?" Artie asked, seeing Puck's logo with 'WMHS 12.18.09' under it.

"Yeah. We usually get them done for special events or tours. Like for the 'Who I Am' tour, I had them so I could toss them into the audience every once and a while and they had the tour name and my logo on them," Noah explained, putting the extras back in his pocket.

"I can't wait to hear what songs you're gonna sing," Kurt commented.

Noah smiled, "I think a lot of people are, but like I said yesterday, I wanna keep it secret, so dad's got the security guards blocking it so no one can get to the gym."

"Nice, easy class today," Finn said with a grin.

"They're only fifteen minutes, so there wouldn't even be time for you guys to change and get into the gym anyway," Mercedes commented.

"Good point," Matt agreed with nod.

The bell rang above their heads, signaling time to move to class, so the Gleeks waved and began to head off in the direction of their first classes. Noah looked down at his girlfriend, "I'll walk you to class, then I gotta get back to the gym," he told her.

She smiled, "alright. You know, you didn't have to come down just to see us and walk me to class; we could have waited to see you at the concert. You've gotta be busy."

"I wanted to see you. I'm used to seeing you every morning before school, didn't want to break tradition," he grinned, walking her down the hallway with his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm used to seeing you every morning, too," she admitted with a blush.

Pausing outside her classroom, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug and kissed her gently, "I'll see you in a few hours. Love you, Rach," he said.

"I love you, too, Noah," she replied returning his hug and kiss, "see you soon."

Nodding, he let go over her and watched her walk into her class before making his way back towards the gym, passing classmates, greeting them and handing out a few more picks as he did. Once he got to the guards, he nodded at them as he walked past and once he reached the gym doors, he stepped inside, hearing, "aw, lover-boy is back. We can start practice now," Tyler, his bassist called out over his mic.

Ethan smirked, "next time, turn off your headset," he said, "it's wireless."

"Oh shit," Noah groaned pulling the pack from his pocket to glance at it and see it was on, which caused him to blush, realizing they heard everything he said to her, and probably most of what she and their friends said.

Devon, his piano player, made a smooching sound over his headset and smirked, "dude, we've got years of built up teasing for you having a girlfriend, so you better get used to it."

Noah walked up onto the stage and sighed, giving in. "Alright, alright, lay it on me," he said, putting his ear buds and mic on correctly, "but could we get to work?"

...

As requested, they did get to work and spent about twenty minutes trying to figure out how to start the concert and once they figured it out, they started working on the songs. When they moved onto the third song, his drummer lost control of one of his drum sticks and it flew across the stage towards Noah, "dude, sorry," Joel said.

Noah picked up the drum stick and walked it over to him, "uh, you okay? You've never done that," Noah commented.

Joel held up his left hand and sighed, "I've only been out of a cast for two weeks," he admitted.

"Dude! I forgot about that. Are you sure you're gonna be okay to play?" Noah asked, remembering how his drummer had gotten into an accident a few months back, breaking his wrist and had only been out of his cast for a few weeks.

"Yeah, I should be," Joel told him honestly.

Noah eyed him, "alright, but if you can't-"

"I'll be good," Joel assured him.

"Alright," Noah walked back to where he had been standing and they started back up again, but after that song, Joel started missing beats and as soon as they finished that song, Noah turned around, "Joel, seriously, what the hell? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought I'd be fine by now," Joel sighed, throwing the sticks down in frustration.

Noah set his guitar down in it's stand and rubbed his forehead, "I'll be back," he said calmly, moving off the stage, "Principal Figgins, what class are we in now?"

Figgins quickly dug out the paper he had, "it would be fourth period," he said.

"Where are you going?" Ethan asked as Noah kept moving towards the exit doors.

"There is only one person in this school who knows all my music on the drums and if Joel can't, then I need him to play," Noah replied, pushing the doors open and headed towards the classrooms, in the direction of Will's, this time making sure he turned off his mic. Stepping inside the class, he drew attention to himself, but was on a mission, "lo siento, señor Schue, pero es muy importante que tengo ahora Finn. Necesito su ayuda. ¿Puedo tenerlo, por favor?" Noah asked trying not to snap. ('I'm sorry, Mister Schue, but it's very important that I have Finn now. I need his help. Can I have him, please?' - Spanish)

"Oh, yeah, sure," Will nodded, "Finn, go on with Noah."

"Alright," Finn stood up and moved towards his friend, "see you later, Mr. Schue," he said as he and Noah stepped out into the empty hallway and started heading back to the gym, but paused at their lockers, "uh, what's going on?" Finn asked.

"JOEL!" He exclaimed punching his own locker.

Finn looked at him, "your drummer, Joel?" Finn opened his locker and stuffed his bag and Letterman's jacket inside.

"Yes, him! He crashed his motorcycle and broke his wrist a while ago and he just got out of his cast like two weeks ago and thought he'd be fine, but he lost control of a drum stick and if it had more force behind it, it would have hit me. Then when we started back up, he started loosing the beat and missing things. He can't play like that. Please tell me that you know all my songs," he begged.

"Oh yeah I do," Finn nodded, grabbing his pass from his bag before he closed his locker, "why didn't he say anything?"

Noah groaned and shook his head, "I don't fucking know. We'd do the same thing if we got hurt in practice and didn't want to admit we needed a break," he told him with a sigh. "What I do know is that in about two and a half hours I go on and I need a drummer," Noah pulled out a piece of paper he had folded up in his pocket and handed it to Finn as they began to walk to the gym, "these are the songs that I'm doing. These two," he pointed to two, "I'm gonna make him play, because I was going to invite you up on stage to sing them with me, so now you will just switch and you'll come up front with me to sing them, then you'll switch back. He did great for the first few songs, so if he can get a break and just play two songs he should be fine."

Finn looked over the list and nodded, "yeah, I got these. You want me to sing these two with you? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am. I've never performed them because they are our songs and it just didn't seem right if you weren't there singing them with me," he said, "so now's the perfect time."

"They are our songs," Finn agreed, "and I'd like that. Alright, let's get rockin'," he said.

Noah smirked and the guard nearby nodded at them when he saw Finn's pass and once they reached the gym, they walked down the center aisle of the seats, "told you," Ethan said, looking at Elliott.

"Finn, you know all his songs?" Elliott asked in shock.

"Yeah," Finn nodded, "gave me something to do when he was gone," Finn admitted, "so I'm up for helping out."

Joel, who was standing with them, handed Finn a set of new drumsticks, "good luck," he said, "and Noah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I honestly thought I'd be good to play," he told him.

Noah nodded, "I know, don't worry about it. I'm just glad Finn is able to help out and I want you to play two songs I'm doing, so Finn can sing them with me."

...

As the sixth class ended, lunch began like normal. By now, all the students had a red bracelet on their wrist and were carrying on like it was a semi-normal day, even if a few tables were taken over to be the area where Noah and Taylor would be singing autographs.

Quinn looked around the cafeteria and sighed, "has anyone seen Finn?" She asked worriedly, sitting with the rest of the club.

"He was with us third period," Matt commented.

"I didn't see him after fourth period," Mike replied.

"He won't answer his phone," Quinn said, "and I'm worried. He seemed fine this morning."

"He has fourth period with Mr. Schuester. He and Noah have Spanish together that time," Rachel offered, motioning to where Will was standing with Emma and a few other teachers.

Quinn stood up, shaped her hands around her mouth and called out for him and when he turned to her, she motioned for him to come over, so he ended his conversation with them and walked over, "hey, what's up?"

"Where's Finn?" Quinn asked, "he was in third period and I never saw him after fourth period," she said.

"Noah came in during class and said he needed Finn's help, so I let Finn go with him," Will explained. "He didn't say exactly why, but they are like brothers, so it could be anything."

"Then we'll find out soon," Rachel said reassuringly, "we should get going up there. I'm sure we have our own seats, but I don't want to get stuck in a large crowd."

Quinn nodded, relaxing enough to finish her lunch and soon Will, along with the rest of the club made their way up to the gym, showing their passes to a guard, who showed them right inside and over to one side of the floor seats where the families and friends would be sitting. Rachel's dads, Carole - Finn's mom, Taylor, his family, Noah's family, his manager and some others were standing around, and sure enough, Finn was standing next to Noah by the stage with several other guys.

"See, he's fine," Rachel said to Quinn as they got into the gym.

"Yeah he is," Quinn nodded as they moved right up to the front to greet those they knew.

"Hey babe," Noah smiled walking a few feet over to her and wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Hi," she smiled, looking at him, "everything okay?"

"Yep, it is now," he nodded, kissing her, earning a few cat calls and whistles from his band.

Rachel's cheeks reddened as they pulled from their kiss, "um..."

He smirked, "it's just the guys. They say they have years of teasing to give me, so I just told them to lay it on," he admitted, "they heard everything I said to you this morning because these," he motioned to the headset, "are wireless and it was on."

"Oh, um," she ducked her head, her blush growing.

"Wow, Noah. You've made her speechless. I didn't think that was possible," Kurt laughed.

"Hey man, be nice," Noah said kissing his girlfriend's cheek, then he called over his band, "guys come here!" His band came over closer to the group, "everyone this is my band. My two guitar players, Paul and Lee," Noah motioned to them, "my bass player, Tyler. Devon plays piano, or in this case a keyboard, and normally Joel plays the drums, but now my drummer is," Noah turned to Finn, "well, I think you know Finn," he said casually.

"What?" "Are you serious?" "He's playing drums for you?"

"Yeah, Finn is," Joel nodded, "I broke my wrist and just got out of a cast a few weeks ago and I thought I'd be good, but I can't get through more than two or three songs without messin' up, so Finn will be playing all of the songs, except two," he explained.

"Wow! I didn't know you knew Noah's songs," Quinn admitted.

Finn nodded, "yeah, gave me something to do when he was gone."

Noah finished introductions and when they got to Rachel, they grinned, "boy, we've got stories to tell you," Tyler told her.

Rachel giggled, "I'm sure you do," she admitted.

The gym was filling up and flashes were already going off; this was a big deal for McKinley and he knew cameras would be all over, and a few of his tour photographers were not only filming the entire show, but also would be running around taking pictures, too.

Noah had been holding the first few rows of the floor seats for the club, his friends and family and he showed the teens where to sit, Rachel's dads, Carole, Taylor, Taylor's family, and Noah's family, filled in the next row. Makena and Arin wanted to sit in front so they could see, so Matt and Mike sat behind Santana and Brittany, freeing up a few spots in the front for them.

It was getting close to eleven and most of the school was already there, so they waited a few more minutes and opened up the rest of the floor seats for students if they wanted them, so many girls filled them in as Elliott and and the guys from the record company found their seats in the far back by the exit doors, in the stands, since they were not there to be entertained; this was nothing new for them, so they were giving the seats to fans who wanted to sit closer.

Noah and the band, including Finn, walked to the side of the stage as Figgins went up to introduce Noah, once he was sure that all the students were there. "He's a fellow classmate, student, and friend to all of us here, so please let's welcome, Noah Puckerman, known to the world as Puck!"

He jogged up on stage and waved as the whole school cheered for him, "hey McKinley!" He called out, "thank you!" He bowed a little, "love you guys," he smiled, "before I get started, let's introduce the guys who help bring the music to life... On the keyboard, we've got Devon!" Devon went up on stage and as he took his spot, he waved at the school. "Rockin' on the guitars we've got Lee and Paul," the two headed up and took their places, waving to everyone as they got their guitars ready. "We've got Tyler on the bass guitar," Noah pointed to him and he did the same as the other guys, "and normally I'd introduce Joel as my drummer, but we have a little change in plans today," he grinned, "my drummer is a little closer to me and McKinley. He's my best friend and brother, and you know him as the quarterback of the varsity football team... Please welcome Finn Hudson!"

Finn climbed the stairs and walked towards Noah, shaking his hand and then waved at everyone, "hey McKinley!" He waved the drumsticks in his hands before taking his seat the the drums. The band also doubled for Noah's back-up singers, so Finn fit right in, since he knew the vocals, too.

"So McKinley, are you guys up for some music?" Noah asked, getting screams in response, "I'm glad, because we're gonna have some fun today! I'm gonna perform some songs from my most recent album, 'Who I Am' and a few songs from my previous two albums that are special to me. Also, I'm going to play a few songs that I have never performed before, and probably never will again, so you're going to get a special treat today, so you wanna get started?" Noah asked and the school cheered him on, so he nodded at the guys to begin.

**1. Gotta Be Somebody  
**As the first chord of the first song began from his guitar and bass players, Noah looked around the gym a little before beginning the lyrics, "_this time, I wonder what it feels like to find the one in this life, the one we all dream of, but dreams just aren't enough, so I'll be waiting for the real thing, I'll know it by the feeling, the moment when we're meeting, will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen, so I'll be holding my breath, right up 'til the end, until that moment when, I find the one that I'll spend forever with,_" Noah paused briefly as he walked around the stage, for once, not hiding behind a guitar to sing this song and he paused right in the middle as Finn and the rest of the band joined him for the chorus, " _'cause nobody wants to be the last one there. 'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares. Someone to love, with my life in their hands, there's gotta be somebody for me like that. 'Cause nobody wants to go it on their own and everyone wants to know they're not alone, there's somebody else that feels the same somewhere, there's gotta be somebody for me out there..._" Trailing off, Noah pointed to Rachel and pressed his hand over his heart with a smile.

Seeing her smile and blush a little as she caught his motion, he continued on with the next verse, "_tonight, out on the street, out in the moonlight and damn it this feels too right, it's just like déja vu, me standing here with you, so I'll be holding my breath, could this be the end? Is it that moment when, I find the one that I'll spend forever with,_" jumping right into the chorus again, he continued, walking around on stage, stopping long enough for someone to take a picture if they wanted, and he then picked up with the bridge and part of the chorus, "_you can't give up when you're looking for a diamond in the rough. 'Cause you never know, when it shows up, make sure you're holding on, 'cause it could be the one, the one you're waiting on. 'Cause nobody wants to be the last one there and everyone wants to feel like someone cares. Someone to love, with my life in their hands, there's gotta be somebody for me, oh,_" singing the chorus once more, the song trailed off to the end and the gym went crazy. "Thank you!" He called out bowing slightly to everyone, "I bet most of you can relate to that song. I know I did, but now I can officially say I found somebody, so if I can, you all can, too."

**2. Don't Tell Me  
**"Raise your hand if you have ever been told you couldn't do something because it wasn't 'normal'? Or someone tried to make you live life differently to be like everyone else?" Almost every teacher and student in the room raised their hands and even Noah did, "yep, that's what I thought and I have been told the same... So I wrote a little song that you guys all might recognize and here it is... Feel free to sing along," he grinned, nodding at Finn to start, since the beginning was a drum solo.

"_Alright... Oh... Yeah... Alright... Hey, why should anyone tell me how to wear my hair?_" Noah ran his hand through his hair, not missing the mohawk one bit, "_they say I should try to fit in, but I don't care. I'm living my life just the way I like. They say I get a little too loud. Try to put me in a box, over analyze, but I'm never gonna tone it down. They say 'stop', but I say 'go'..._" Noah grinned as he could already here others singing when he started the chorus, "_don't tell me what I gotta do, who I wanna be; it's for me to choose. No more rules, 'cause I just don't have the time. Don't tell me what I gotta do 'cause it's up to me, it's not up to you. If I wanna go crazy no one's gonna stop me tonight!_" Everyone was following him during the words 'don't tell me' when he'd beat his fist in the air three times, "_hey, why should I bend into what I'm not? They say someday I might get a real job. I'm not about to compromise who I am just so I can blend right in. They wanna see a cardboard cutout, well, that's a fight they just can't win. They say 'yes' and I say 'no'..._"

Moving onto the chorus, Noah continued what he had been doing, moving around the stage, and as the final verse came up, he stopped in the middle of the stage again, "_they can say what they like. I don't hear it all,_" he shook his head, "_it's my life to live, I'll live it just the way I want,_" he patted his chest, "_I'm never holding back, I don't mind standing out. They say 'never" and I say 'right now'..._" Repeating the chorus one more time, he sang the final words, "_don't tell me,_" he lowered his head for a second as the music stopped, taking a few deep breaths, as he listened to the school screaming for him.

**3. No Boundaries  
**He waved and walked over to his guitars and picked up his acoustic, slipping it on and plugged it in to the pack in his pocket, "you guys might not know this, but one of the things about me is that I put songs on my albums that have a meaning for me. Either something I've experienced, something I've felt, or something I feel someone else I know could relate to. This is one of those songs from my second album," he said pulling a pick from his pocket and began strumming the first chords of the song, "_seconds, hours, so many days. You know what you want but how long can you wait? Every moment lasts forever when you feel you lost your way and what if my chances are already gone? Started believing that I could be wrong, but you give me one good reason to fight and never walk away, so here I am still holding on,_" free to roam around, as he and the guys began to sing the chorus, he paused every few feet as he wandered around the stage.

"_With every step you climb another mountain. Every breath it's harder to believe. You make it through the pain, weather the hurricanes to get to that one thing. Just when you think the road is going nowhere. Just when you almost gave up on your dreams. They take you by the hand and show you that you can... There are no boundaries! There are no boundaries!_" Noah moved onto the final verse, standing in the middle of the stage again, "_I fought to the limit to stand on the edge. What if today is as good as it gets? Don't know where the future's headed, but nothing's gonna bring me down. I've jumped every bridge and I've run every line. I've risked being safe, but I always knew why, I always knew why! So here I am still holding on..._" They repeated the chorus one more time, and once they got through it, Noah stopped playing and so did all the guys, giving him the opportunity to sing the chorus once more, alone, with no music behind him, proving that he really had the voice they all thought he did.

The school erupted into cheers and as he looked around, he waved, "thank you everyone."

**4. Stand  
**Noah removed the guitar and leaned it against it's stand, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a swig before walking to the edge of the stage and sitting down on it, letting his feet dangle, "has anyone been through something in their life that's upset them or made them feel like things are never going to get better?" He raised his hand, along with many others, "I've been through a lot these past few years, pushed to my limit and close to snapping many times and when I feel like I'm at the bottom of the barrel, do you know where I go?" He smiled as people were shouting out places in major cities, "no, not LA, not New York," he paused, "I come back to Lima and even just a few days here, my head clears, I can _stand_ up and know that things will get better, you just have to push through." As soon as he said 'stand' the band began the song, while he continued, "this is a little something I wrote with my dad," he paused and then let the music catch up to where he starts singing and began, "_you feel like a candle in a hurricane. Just like a picture with a broken frame. Alone and helpless, like you've lost your fight, but you'll be alright, you'll be alright,_" he hopped off the stage and walked towards one side of the gym as he and the guys started the chorus, walking back and forth, tossing guitar picks at them, " _'cause when push comes to shove you taste what you're made of. You might bend, till you break, 'cause its all you can take. On your knees you look up, decide you've had enough. You get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off, then you stand, then you stand._"

Moving back towards the stage, still standing on the gym floor, he smiled, singing the next verse and tossing guitar picks again, "_life's like a novel, with the end ripped out. The edge of a canyon, with only one way down. Take what you're given, before its gone. Start holding on, keep holding on,_" he jogged to the other side of the gym, doing the same thing as they continued with the chorus again and he headed towards where had been standing in front of the chairs to sing the final verse, "_every time you get up and get back in the race, one more small piece of you, starts to fall into place, yeah._"

During the guitar break, he walked up the stairs so when they sang the chorus one more time, he was back on center stage. As the song came to an end, he bowed at the cheering gym and smiled brightly, hearing them cheer for a song he wrote meant more to him than songs than ones he didn't.

**5. The Time of My Life  
**"Dude, I should have done this sooner," Noah grinned getting screams in response. "We're gonna go back almost four years exactly. This time then I was in the studio recording my first album and this is one of the many songs I recorded. I love it, I hope you guys do too," he said as his piano and guitar players started the song, "_I've been waiting for my dreams to turn into something I could believe in and looking for that magic rainbow on the horizon, I couldn't see it, until I let go, gave into love and watched all the bitterness burn. Now I'm coming alive, body and soul, and feelin' my world start to turn,_" they all moved onto singing the chorus while Noah wandered over the stage, pausing to wave at the flashing cameras, "_and I'll taste every moment and live it out loud. I know this is the time, this is the time to be more than a name or a face in the crowd,_" he motioned out to the gym, "_I know this is the time, this is the time of my life... Time of my life._"

Taking center stage again, he sang the next verse, "_holding onto things that vanished into the air, left me in pieces, but now I'm rising from the ashes, finding my wings and all that I needed was there all along, within my reach as close as the beat of my heart,_" he pressed his hand over his heart while they sang the chorus again and moved to the bridge, "_and I'm out on the edge of forever, ready to run. I'm keeping my feet on the ground, arms open wide, face to the sun,_" he smiled and took a deep breath as they finished the song with the chorus once more, letting the last chord echo across the room.

The roaring cheers from the gym echoed, just like the last notes had, "you guys are amazing," he smiled.

**6. Who I Am  
**Walking over to his guitars, he grabbed his electric one in one hand and a stool in the other and Paul, Lee and Tyler followed him with their guitars or bass, taking seats on stools near the edge of the stage, "you know, a couple of weeks ago, I was wandering the halls and I heard someone playing this next song, and when I let him know I heard him, he told me it was no big deal and he was just messin' around on his guitar, but, it is a big deal. It's not every day that an artist can walk in on someone playing their music and I wrote it, so it was even more special because he admitted he related to it big time and I know that everyone in here does, too... My name is Noah Puckerman, I play wide receiver on the football team, I am a proud member of the Glee Club, thanks Kayla, wherever you are, you know what I mean," he smiled, waving in the direction of where some of the room was pointing to her, "I'm a boyfriend, son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, best friend, classmate, Titan," he paused and tugged something out from underneath his shirt collar; a Star of David pendant, "a Jew, song writer, singer, award winner, and on occasion, known to the world as Puck, pop star... That's me," he took a deep breath, "thank you," he nodded to the gym, "for accepting me for who I am," he finished his introduction for the song, and he and the band started playing the song he'd heard Ryan playing a few weeks prior, a song with a huge meaning for him and everyone there.

Though the guys had sat through the whole song, during the last few lines, Noah stood up and walked towards one of the stairs and as he sang the final words of the song, "_I want someone to love me for who I am_," he slipped the guitar behind him so it was hanging off his back by the strap and walked down the stairs and right to his girlfriend, taking his headset off as he did he no one could hear what they were saying. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear as they hugged.

Rachel blinked her eyes, not realizing that tears were falling as she nodded, "you're welcome," she replied softly, a bright smile on her face.

Noah reached up and wiped her eyes and kissed her gently, "love you, babe," he smiled.

She nodded at him, "love you, too, Noah."

Even though his headset was hooked around his guitar strap so his hands were free, it wasn't too hard to tell what they were saying, and with the whistling and cheering echoing through the gym, it was a great sign to see that even though Rachel started out as the 'Glee Club freak' and Noah was the 'popular Jock' and 'famous kid' the school accepted them as a couple, even if girls across the world were heartbroken that 'Puck' had a girlfriend.

Noah brushed his hand against Rachel's cheek briefly before moving away to head back to the stage, the guys staying in their stools and after Noah fixed his headset, he grabbed his acoustic guitar, put his electric one away and moved towards the stools, but didn't sit down.

"So you couldn't keep your hands off your girlfriend for an hour and a half, huh?" Paul teased.

"I should have bet you, dude," Lee said, looking at Paul, both guitar players having grins on their faces.

Noah blushed, ducking his head, "alright, just 'cause I gave you guys permission to tease me about having a girlfriend, doesn't mean you have to do it in front of everyone."

"Oh, come on, it's the best place," Tyler, the bass player, joked, joining into the banter.

"Dad," Noah said looking towards where his dad was sitting.

"What? Can't take a little teasing? Need your daddy to protect you?" Paul laughed.

"No, actually I'm trying to move the show along, because the school day is only so long and I'm trying to ignore you guys," he smirked, handing his guitar off to his dad, as he reached them on stage.

"The teasing can continue after the concert, guys," Ethan smirked adjusting the guitar strap a little and taking a seat on the empty stool.

"Everyone give it up for my dad, Ethan, who taught me everything I know about the guitar and he was the captain of the hockey team when he was here at McKinley," Noah explained.

The roar from the gym echoed and the cheered as Ethan waved at them, "hey everyone. It's nice to be back here at McKinley," he smiled.

"Dad and I wrote the next two songs and it's great that I can have him up here to play them," he said unbuttoning the plaid shirt he had on, "but first, it only makes sense that I join all of you in what I'm wearing," he removed the shirt completely, revealing a red McKinley t-shirt with 'McKinley Football' written on the front with a football design, and on the back was his football number and his last name; a shirt that all the football players got at the end of the season.

The school began chanting 'No-Ah' and he blushed, bowing to them, then turned around to show off the back before facing them again, "thank you guys and... Noah has come home."

...

**Music used in this chapter:  
**1. Gotta Be Somebody - Nickelback  
2. Don't Tell Me - Nolan Gerard Funk (Spectacular! Soundtrack) (writes)  
3. No Boundaries - Kris Allen  
4. Stand - Rascal Flatts (writes with Ethan)  
5. The Time of My Life - David Cook  
6. Who I Am - Nick Jonas & The Administration (writes)

You can see Puck's 3 CD track listings and his logo by going to my LiveJournal here:  
( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com / 33565 . html )

**Disclaimer2:** In real life, I do not own these songs, nor did Noah Puckerman or his dad write them. They belong to their respective writers/artists and are used here in a work of fiction.

...

A/N6: Continued in the next chapter... I was originally going to have this be one chapter, but it got to be too long with all the lyrics, so I split it up... Maybe a few days for the next chapter. Still have to edit it, but let me know what you think of the build up and the continuation will be up as soon as I can get it up.

A/N7: Just celebrated my 27th birthday on September 1st. Rachel in 'Out of the Blue' celebrated her 17th birthday on the same day, which is why 'Out of the Blue' was updated that day, because it was her birthday chapter.

**Update on my family life:** We have not found out anything. After sitting from the 23rd to the 26th with no information from anyone, finally on Friday, August 27th, the place in Seattle that my mom will be going to called to set up the appointment for an exam with the doctor. The earliest they could get her in is on the 14th of September, so we have a while to wait. It sucks. I hate waiting, and my mom's doctor here has not shared any information with us and the person on the phone told her that the results from the lab work was incomplete and the doctors were asking for it to be gone over again, so we probably won't find out if it's cancer until the earliest of the 14th, and even after that appointment, they still might not know. It's frustrating! ... I really appreciate all of your kind words in your reviews and your personal messages about this. It means so much. You guys and my writing is what is keeping me going. I love you all so much!

...


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: Warning: Lyrics heavy in this chapter! I am going to number each song and they will be listed at the bottom with the names of the songs and who sings them, so you can look them up if you want to. I'm not going to feature every lyric, but enough to get the song out there. Concert is in two parts, chapter 22 and 23.

**Similar note from chapter 15:  
**A/N5: In this universe, there is no 'American Idol'. Many of the songs I chose for Puck's albums are from contestants/winners of AI. With songs from other bands/singers/groups who were not on AI, I imagine they are just not part of the original artist's music.

...

**7. Home  
**Finn began the next song with the drums and Ethan, and the rest of the guys joined in and after a few bars, Noah started, standing off to the side of the guitarists, "_I'm staring out into the night, trying to hide the pain. I'm going to the place where love and feeling good don't ever cost a thing and the pain you feel's a different kind of pain,_" Noah walked down the stairs and right to his sister, pulling her into a big hug as he sang the chorus, "_well I'm going home, back to the place where I belong, and where your love has always been enough for me. I'm not running from, no, I think you got me all wrong. I don't regret this life I chose for me, but these places and these faces are getting old, so I'm going home... Well I'm going home..._"

Noah smiled as his mom joined their hug and he relaxed, for the moment glad to be standing right there with them, "_the miles are getting longer it seems, the closer I get to you. I've not always been the best man or friend for you, but your love remains true and I don't know why you always seem to give me another try._"

Arin and Deborah pulled from his hug and moved back to their seats, so he gave his girlfriend a quick hug and then bumped fists with a few of the Glee members before walking over to a side of the gym, to people he hadn't seen in a long time. As he and the guys sang the chorus, he wrapped his arms around three very emotional girls, then shook hands with three teen guys and two older guys, then hugged three older women. When he pulled away from the last person, he continued with the next verse, "_be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it all. You just might get it all, and then some you don't want. Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it all. You just might get it all, yeah,_" he smiled at those he'd just hugged and returned to the stage and they all sang the final chorus and as the music stopped, Noah said the last words of the song, but tweaked them just slightly; instead of saying 'I'm going home', he said, "_we're going home,_" as he rested his hands on his dad's shoulders.

Ethan smiled and nodded a little, looking at his wife and daughter, before turning to look at the other ones Noah had hugged and greeted, his nieces, nephews, his mom, his brother, his two sisters and his brother-in-law. "Hold up," he stood up, handing off the guitar to his son and jogged over to the same people, but this time, he went right for his mom first before the others.

Noah smiled, "everyone, meet my cousins Jessica, Kelly, Laura, Logan, Kevin, and Rich, my uncles Ben and Brian, my aunts Kegan and Brianna and my grandma Orla. Family, meet the students and staff of William McKinley High School," Noah said.

His family waved as their names were called and once his grandma and dad had pulled apart, she waved. Ethan gave his nieces and sisters quick hugs and shook hands with the guys as quick as he could, promising he'd see them soon and then jogged back to the stage and took the guitar from Noah, "okay, all good."

**8. In My High School  
**"Alright," Noah nodded and looked around, "like I said before, dad and I wrote this song, and well... Is anyone in a 'category' here at school? Where's my jocks, girls and guys?" He asked, getting a portion of one side to scream at him, "how about my bookworms?" Another area yelled and Noah continued, "we all fit somewhere, some places because of the sport we play or the club we're in, and a lot of us, like Finn and I, fit into several. Some of you might say, that's not true; we're all one school, but if you stand back and take in what's going on around you, you'll see. This song is about all of that and how, no matter what we're like now, years from now, we're going to have jobs and careers and then we'll think back to our time here at McKinley and remember all the times we had, good and bad," he paused for a moment, "_do I say something about the slushies or just let it go? We haven't had that problem since the first day of school... Just give it up, dude,_" he thought, "and this is a song that I have never performed before, and probably never will, so you guys are in luck," he finished nodding at Ethan.

Ethan took the hint and started the guitar part of the song, with the other guys following along.

Noah moved to sit on the edge of the stage again, his dad and the guys behind him and started the song at the right moment, "_in my high school, we separate the rich from the rest. Those who wear rags from those who only wear the best. An' in my high school, they hold assemblies for the football team,_" he motioned to his t-shirt, "_but never for the kids with different dreams. We've got jocks and we've got smokers, rednecks an' jokers. There's a category for us all. An' we struggle with our homework, our teachers an' their rules. Yeah, they just think we're adolescent fools,_" he paused before starting up again, "_in my high school, there's some who think they're tough as they can be, but when I look in their eyes, all I see is insecurity. An' in my High School, there's some who'll wait, then there's some who won't. Some that cross those lines an' some that don't,_" he slid off the stage and walked towards the front row, near Rachel, "_we've got outcasts an' we've got rebels; mostly saints, sometimes devils. You see them walkin' up an' down the hall,_" he pointed outside the gym, "_an' they struggle with their boyfriends, their girlfriends an' their math. An' they long for the bell that gets them out of class. In my high school,_" he looked at Rachel and smiled, "_we laugh, we cry, we fall, we fly. An' sometimes we wonder why we're even here. We pass, we fail, an' only time will tell, if we'll ever make it through these teenage years,_" he moved back towards one side of the gym as he started the next lyrics, "_in my high school, there's some who study for their entrance exams. Some who just wanna play guitar in some rock 'n roll band,_" he pretended to play air guitar, "_an' in my high school, the Seniors just cannot wait for June, but they don't realize that we grow up way too soon,_" walking past the front row again, he went to the other side, "_they'll be doctors, they'll be lawyers; teachers an' warriors, an' they'll live out their dreams, big and small,_" he moved back to stand near the front row, "_and they'll struggle with their jobs; with their husbands and their wives, an' they'll talk about 'the best days of their lives', in my high school,_" he stopped singing as the guys continued the play the last bars of the song and when it ended he smiled, "right here at McKinley," he said lightly and the room cheered and from what he could see, a lot of girls were crying, the guys were cheering, he knew most of the guys weren't 'fans' so that meant something.

Letting the school calm down a bit, Noah returned to the stage, while Ethan, Joel, Lee and Tyler moved their stools and the guys retook their spots. Ethan set Noah's guitar down, took off his headset and set it aside, making sure it was off, then walked to his son, hugging him lightly before returning to his spot next to his wife.

**9. You Know I Will  
**"This next song is one I wrote a while ago and I almost didn't put it on my album because I had a similar song picked out that had the same meaning, but I hadn't written. The two songs had a similar meaning, and this one, I wrote for me and my best friend and brother, Finn. He encouraged me to put it on the album, so I recorded it and as soon as I did, I knew he was right; it had to be on there. I swore to myself I'd never sing it without him being here, and today is that day. Finn, come on up here," Noah said.

Finn stood up and Joel took over at the drums, while he joined Noah at the front of the stage, "are you sure you want to do this?" Finn asked nervously over his headset.

Noah laughed lightly and nodded, "I'm sure, bro. I knew I'd only do this song one way and that's with it being a duet between us."

"Alright, if you say so," Finn shrugged, seeing Rachel, Quinn and Carole's eyes widen.

At his question, the band started the song and Noah waited for the right moment, to sing the first few lines, "_there's a hill we gotta climb. There's a treasure we must find. The two of us as friends, we're ready to take on a world._"

Finn smiled, took a deep breath and continued with the next few lyrics, "_we'll see who can touch the sky, we'll see who can jump that high, every day is an adventure, we're ready to take on the world._" Noah patted him on the back and joined him with the rest of the verse, "_and through all the ups and downs, I'll always be around, you know when nothin' goes your way, when nothin' goes you way._" The two parted on stage; Finn moved to one corner while Noah went to the other and they sang the chorus together, "_you know I will. I'll stand behind you and your darkest fears. You know I will. I'll be the shoulder for your fallen tears. You know I will. I'll be behind you 'til your in the clear._"

Even though he was on the opposite end of the stage, Noah turned to find, "_when the sunlight shows it's face, you and me, we take our place. We're legendary heroes, we're ready to take on the world, so then let the chase begin, if we go we both will win. When we're havin' fun, there's no one else in the world._"

"_And if you slip and fall off track, I'll carry you on my back, you know when nothin' goes your way, when nothin' goes goes you way,_" Finn replied.

The guys walked towards each other on stage singing the last of the chorus, "_you know I will. I'll stand behind you and your darkest fears. You know I will. I'll be the shoulder for your fallen tears. You know I will. I'll be behind you 'til your in the clear._"

During a break for a guitar solo that Noah normally would have done, but he decided not to play guitar for the song, so he and Finn sat down on the edge of the stage, "_and through all the ups and downs, I'll always be around, you know when nothin' goes your way, when nothin' goes you way... You know I will. I'll stand behind you and your darkest fears. You know I will. I'll be the shoulder for your fallen tears. You know I will. I'll be behind you 'til your in the clear... You know I will._" When they sang the final words, they shook hands and patted each other on the back.

**10. Find Out Who Your Friends Are  
**Looking around, Noah remembered where Kayla had been, the same side where his cousins were, so he got off the stage and walked over there, "Kayla come here," he said.

She looked a little shocked, but went down to the floor and he motioned for his cousins to come along, and they all followed him back to the stage and lined up in front of it, near where Finn was sitting and were all exchanging confused glances. Noah retook his spot next to Finn, "Matt, Mike, Rachel, Quinn, Tina, Kurt, Ryan, Artie, Mercedes, Brittany and Santana would you all come up here, too," Noah motioned towards them in the first row and slightly confused, they did as he requested. Finn pulled Quinn up on the stage to sit next to him and Noah got Rachel up there and then Noah looked right at Taylor, "you know what song is next, man, and I'd like you to be up here, too, if you're up for it."

Taylor had been blending in with an OSU baseball cap and t-shirt, sitting between his parents, and after a brief thought, he moved towards the front of the stage, facing Noah for a moment as he greeted Matt, Mike and Ryan, and after sharing a glance with Noah, he took a deep breath and turned around.

The shocked exclamations across the gym echoed, but no one was rushing the stage which was a good sign, so Noah relaxed and continued, "yep, Jacob Black is in the house... I asked him to come out here for today, as a special treat to you all. Taylor will also be signing autographs later, so be nice and show him why I love you guys," trailing off, Noah looked at his girlfriend, before looking back out around, "the people I have up here mean something special to me, and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. These people I know I can count on if I ever need them, and I'll help them out if they asked me for it, too. That's what friendship is all about, and sometimes when you're down or going through a lot, you'll find out who your true friends are," he said, "and the next song Finn and I are going to sing talks all about that," Noah finished as the music of the next song began and Noah took the first verse, "_run your car off the side of the road, get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere, or get yourself in a bind, lose the shirt off your back, need a floor, need a couch, need a bus fare. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where the cream is gonna rise. This is what you really didn't know. This is where the truth don't lie._"

Finn joined Noah to sing the chorus, "_you find out who your friends are. Somebody's gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car, hit the gas, get there fast, never stop to think 'what's in it for me?' or 'it's way too far'. They just show on up with their big old heart, you find out who your friends are._"

The next verse meant a lot to Noah and Finn and Finn turned to Noah to sing the words, resting his hands on Taylor and Noah's shoulder, "_everybody wants to slap your back, wants to shake your hand when you're up on top of that mountain, but when one of those rocks give way then you slide back down, look up and see who's around then. This ain't where the road comes to an end. This ain't where the bandwagon stops. This is just one of those times when a lot of folks jump off._"

Taylor and Noah both smiled at Finn; Taylor didn't expect Finn to include him in that, but he knew Finn was going to sing the verse, and then Noah and Finn began to sing the chorus once more, and after, sang the bridge, "_when the water's high. When the weather's not so fair. When the well runs dry. Who's gonna be there?_" The guys repeated the chorus one last time and Noah finished the song with the final words, "_you find out who your friends are._"

While the school applauded and cheered for the song and for the meaning, Noah and Finn hopped down on the floor and exchanged hugs with the Gleeks and Noah's cousins before everyone returned to their seats, while Finn went back up on stage to switch with Joel at the drums.

**11. Crush  
**On the way off the stage, Joel grabbed Noah's stool from earlier and set it in the middle and Noah nodded his thanks, holding out his hand to Rachel. "Come here, babe."

Rachel eyed her boyfriend, but took his hand and they went up on stage and Noah patted the stool, so she sat down on it, "what are you doing?"

Noah grinned, "you'll see," he told her, then turned to the school, "there's a song on my first album that is fun, upbeat and reminds me a little of how Rachel and I started out our relationship, from a simple _crush_ to a lot more. This is the first opportunity I've had to sing it since we made our relationship official, so here's one of my singles from that album," he said walking behind Rachel, resting his hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently as the band began the music for it and then he started, "_I hung up the phone tonight, something happened for the first time, deep inside,_" he slipped his arms around her to hug her from behind, "_it was a rush, what a rush. 'Cause the possibility that you would ever feel the same way about me it's just too much, just too much,_" he moved to stand beside her and she turned to look at him as he sang the bridge, "_why do I keep running from the truth? All I ever think about is you,_" he rested his hand on her cheek, "_you got me hypnotized. So mesmerized and I've just got to know._" He grinned and moved to her other side as he started the chorus, "_do you ever think, when you're all alone, all that we could be?_" He took her hand in his and squeezed it as he rested his other hand on her cheek, "_where this thing could go? Am I crazy or falling in love? Is it really just another crush? Do you catch a breath when I look at you? Are you holding back like the way I do? 'Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away, but I know this crush ain't going away._"

Rachel blushed and stood up, and the two wrapped their arms around each other in a hug, "_has it ever crossed your mind, when we're hanging, spending time, girl, are we just friends, is there more, is there more?_" Even in their hug, he looked down at her, "_see it's a chance we've gotta take, 'cause I believe that we can make this into something that will last, last forever, forever._"

He got her to sit back down on the stool and he repeated the chorus, the bridge and then the chorus once more before the end of the song, moving to stand on either side of her, and facing the crowd a few times, holding her hand as he did.

Rachel couldn't help the blush on her face, or the tears in her eyes as he sang to her. No one had ever done anything like that to her before, and it was emotional. Noah noticed her tears and as he sang the last words of the song, he wiped her eyes while the school cheered them on.

"I love you, babe," he smiled.

"I love you, too," she replied, standing up to hug him again, knowing more tears were falling.

**12. Kiss a Girl  
**Noah had planned to play the guitar on the next song, but as he and Rachel stood on stage, him holding her and not wanting to let go, the guys started playing the music to the next song and he quickly picked up at the right moment, "_to kiss and tell, it's just not my style, but the night is young, and it's been awhile and she broke my heart, broke it right in two, and I took some time, but I'm feelin' like I'm finally ready to find, find somebody new._"

He looked down at her as he sang the chorus, "_I wanna kiss a girl. I wanna hold her tight, maybe make a little magic in the moonlight. Don't wanna go too far, just to take it slow, but I shouldn't be lonely in this big old world. I wanna kiss a girl._"

Stepping back slightly, he bowed and held out her hand to her and she giggled, but curtsied before taking his hand in hers, and the two began to dance along to the song as he sang the next verse, "_it's that moment when you start closin' in, first you're holding back, then surrenderin'. It can start a fire, light up the sky, such a simple thing. Do you wanna try? Are you ready to say 'goodbye' to all these blues?_"

As they got back to the chorus, he'd spun her and she'd returned to him, her back against his chest, so he held her for a moment as he sang '_hold her tight_'. They soon went back to dancing through the rest of the song, and when they got to the guitar solo at the end, Noah stopped and looked down at her as he sang the final words, "_I wanna kiss her now._" He smiled brightly at her and pulled the headset off his head and wrapped his free arm around her, pressing his lips to hers in a loving kiss, without going to overboard because of where they were; school.

Hoots, catcalls, whistles and cheers filled the couple's ears as they kissed, and when the pulled away, Noah continued to smile, staring at her for a long moment.

Rachel looked around and then up into his eyes, knowing she was bright red, but smiled and then hugged him once more, before looking at him, "no one has ever done anything like that to me or for me. Thank you," she whispered more tears falling.

He kissed her once more, and wiped her eyes, "no thanks needed," he assured her, "you're my everything and I want the whole world to know you're the girl I love," he whispered guiding them towards the stairs.

Once back to her seat, they hugged again, "I love you, too," she replied, wanting to say so much more, but knew it wasn't the place, so she held it in, keeping with something simple, to hopefully express how much that moment meant to her.

Noah brushed his hand against her cheek as he put his headset back on with his other hand and when it was back in place, he looked around, "thanks McKinley," he smiled, staring at her for a long moment before finally pulling away as the school responded with more cheers and in the back of his mind, he was thankful that they didn't boo them, or do something stupid.

**13. Do I Make You Proud  
**"How many of you are close with your parents? Or at least have a good enough relationship to talk to them?" He asked raising his own hand, seeing most of the school raise their hands. With a smile, he continued as he went back up on stage, "that's awesome. I'm close with mine and I think we all want our parents to be happy with our decisions and support us, right? I know my parents have been majorly supportive of my 'celebrity' and I wouldn't change my experience for anything, even if I do get homesick," he said moving to take his spot behind the keyboard, "I'd like to dedicate this next song to my whole family and ask that they answer the question today," he grinned looking at the band to make sure they were ready.

Deborah didn't know what song he was playing; they'd arrived after soundcheck had been finished, so she was clueless.

The beginning of the song was just a piano and Noah, so he started up, his fingers dancing over the keys as if it was second nature and at the right bar, began singing, "_I've never been the one to raise my hand. That was not me and now that's who I am. Because of you, I am standing tall. My heart is full of endless gratitude. You were the one, the one to guide me through. Now I can see, and I believe it's only just beginning,_" he moved away from the keys and Devon took over as he sang the chorus, "_this is what we dream about, but the only question with me now is: do I make you proud? Stronger than I've ever been now, never been afraid of standing out. Do I make you proud?_"

Walking to the front of the stage, Noah looked right at his mom and dad, "_I guess I've learned to question is to grow, that you still have faith, is all I need to know. I've learned to love, myself in spite of me, and I've learned to walk on the road that I believe,_" moving around the stage a little more, they repeated the chorus and then paused on one side of the stage to sing the bridge, "_everybody needs to rise up. Everybody needs to be loved, to be loved._"

As he and the guys repeated the chorus three more times, Noah made his way down off the stage and his mom moved towards him. When the song got near the end, he lightly sang the final words, "_this is what we dream about, but the only question with me now is: do I make you, do I make you proud?_"

"We're so proud of you, Noah," Deborah said with a smile, wrapping him up in a hug as her words echoed over the gym from his headset.

Though Noah knew that, it was nice to hear. His dad and sister added to their hug, and soon his uncles, aunts and grandma was joining in, the family soaking in the moment briefly before they pulled apart, keeping other words to themselves, to save until later when they could have more privacy.

Noah smiled at all of them, "I love you guys," he said hugging each one of them individually before stepping back to the stage and going up to his guitars and getting his electric one for the next song.

**14. Light On  
**The school had enjoyed the song, but the cheers were lost from the family moment they got to share, but he knew he needed to move on and they could talk later, so he got back to the music, "I have another song that goes with the last song; it's a song about leaving a _light on_ to find our way home, and my mom and my sister are the lights for me and my dad to come home to," he smiled.

The keyboard began the song and Noah joined in with his guitar before he began to sing, "_never really said too much, afraid it wouldn't be enough, just try to keep my spirits up, when there's no point in grieving. Doesn't matter anyway, words could never make me stay, words will never take my place when you know I'm leaving,_" Noah moved around the stage as he continued to sing, the guys adding their voices to the chorus, "_try to leave a light on when I'm gone. Something I rely on to get home. One I can feel at night, a naked light, a fire to keep me warm. Try to leave a light on when I'm gone, even in the daylight, shine on, and when it's late at night you can look inside, you won't feel so alone._"

Pausing in the middle of the stage, he sang the next verse, "_you know we've been down that road, what seems a thousand times before, my back to a closing door and my eyes to the seasons, that roll out underneath my heels and you don't know how bad it feels to leave the only one that I have ever believed in,_" he looked at his family as they went on to sing the chorus; this song meant a lot to him and it was so true; it was so hard to leave home, leave the people he and Ethan were comfortable being around to go into a world they were still just leaning about.

As they repeated the chorus twice more to end the song, Noah bowed lightly before moving to take his guitar off and lean it back up in it's stand.

**15. Here's To You  
**Moving back to center stage, he looked around, "I've got two more songs and I hope you enjoy them, the first one I wrote and dedicated to my fans, and the final one will be my new single, that only a few people know of, so you guys are getting the first listen to it," he nodded at the band and they started the song, with the guitars, piano and drums, and then Noah began the lyrics, "_they got three in the front and four in the back of a civic. Camped out all night on the sidewalk just to get tickets. With their hands on the fence in the back by the buses and the limousines just to get a glance at a drummer or singer, yeah, anything. And they come from miles around, for that moment when the lights go out and they scream..._" He grinned as the whole school screamed to answer the song, as he continued on with the chorus, "_it's the girls in the front row singin',_" he motioned to the girls in the front, Mercedes, Tina, Rachel, Quinn, Brittany, and Santana, along with his sister and Taylor's. "_It's the boys with the wheels that bring them. It's lighters in the air and you guys up there,_" he pointed towards the back of the gym, "_you're the heart and soul and the reason [I] do what [I] do, here's to you!_"

Going on to the next verse, he had to be careful, leaving out a few lines that were normally sung, but because it involved drinking, he didn't think it was the best thing to mention at school.

As the song came to a close, he waved to everyone as they screamed and cheered, "thank you, McKinley, you guys are amazing!" He bowed to them before moving to his guitars again.

**16. Live Like We're Dying  
**Picking up his acoustic guitar, he got it on and hooked up before moving to the front of the stage, "as I said before, this is my last song, and it's also going to be my next single. In a few days, while all of you are finishing your holiday shopping and seeing your family, I'll be heading to New York with my girlfriend and our families to spend Winter Break in the Big Apple, and while we're there, I'll be filming the video," he trailed off a moment, "I'd like to take this time to thank you all for being an amazing audience and for accepting me as one of your classmates. You don't know how much it means to me," he admitted, "after I'm done performing, Taylor and I will be signing autographs and posing for pictures with all of you in the cafeteria. Though I don't think I need to tell you guys this, Principal Figgins asked me to remind you guys to be respectful and school isn't out for another few hours, so don't try to skip the rest of the day if you don't want to participate," he said, getting a nod from the principal in thanks, "and with that, here's my new single."

Noah turned to the band and seeing they were ready, they all started the music and he smiled, the students already recognizing it, "_sometimes we fall down, can't get back up. We're hiding behind skin that's too tough. How come we don't say 'I love you' enough, till it's to late? It's not too late. Our hearts are hungry for the food that won't come and we could make a feast from these crumbs and we're all staring down the barrel of a gun, so if your life flashed before you, what would you wish you would've done?_"

Walking around the stage, Noah could hear the school singing along and starting the chorus, he expected more, "_yeah, we gotta start looking at the hands of the time we've been given. If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking if every second counts on a clock that's ticking, gotta live like we're dying... We've only got 86,400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or to throw it all away. Gotta tell them that we love them, while we got the chance to say. Gotta live like we're dying._"

He paused on one side of the stage as he played part of the guitar solo, and then began the next verse, "_and if your plane fell out of the skies, who would you call with your last goodbye? Should be so careful who we let fall out of our lives, or when we long for absolution, there'll be no one on the line, yeah._"

Singing the chorus once more, he headed towards the other edge of the stage and stopped to sing the bridge, "_you never know a good thing till it's gone. You never see a crash till it's head on. Why do we think we're right when we're dead wrong? You never know a good thing till it's gone._"

Repeating the chorus, and as he sang the final words, "_gotta live like we're dying,_" the gym erupted in echoing applause, screams and cheers as he bowed to them. Noah took off his guitar and put it back with his other one, before heading to a corner of the stage, bowing and waving to one side, "thank you McKinley, you guys are awesome!" He called out, jogging to the other side of the stage to do the same thing, and then moved to the center one final time and bowed, "I'll see you in the cafeteria."

...

As planned, just after twelve-thirty, the concert finished and the students and staff began to file out of the gym. Noah and Finn got his guitars packed up in their cases and then went down to meet up with the small group of people; his grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins having joined them, and his dad was in the process of introducing everyone when the two came over.

"Noah!" "That was amazing!" "Awesome concert!" "Oh my God!" "This was better than the concert in Columbus!" "Finn, great playing on the drums!"

"Thank you," Finn smiled hugging his girlfriend.

"Glad you guys liked it," Noah replied, setting his guitar cases down on the floor before wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. "You do not know long I've waited to have a girlfriend I can sing to," he murmured in her ear.

Rachel blushed, "that was amazing. I really didn't expect that," she admitted.

"I know," he pressed a kiss to her lips before looking around a little.

It didn't take long for the gym to clear out and with two ways to the cafeteria; one was from inside the school, which was where everyone was going, and the other from outside, the whole group, along with Tim and Alex headed outside towards the parking lot, pausing at Noah's SUV to drop his guitars off, before they continued towards the cafeteria.

Looking inside, they could see the tables Noah and Taylor would be sitting at were set up near the back, with five or six tables off to one side for their friends and family to sit at, while the rest of the students were lined up making one long, repeating 'S' filling the cafeteria.

As soon as the two teen celebrities entered the building, flashes, screaming and cheering began and they waved and Noah kissed his girlfriend before heading over to his table with Tim, and Alex stayed with Taylor. Each table had two 'assistants'; one to help with pens or pictures to sign, while the other was to take pictures for everyone.

The tables were set up so Noah and Taylor could sit to sign autographs, and then stand up to pose for pictures, wanting to make things as easy as possible so they could get through everyone.

...

Rachel watched from the side, seeing students walk up to Noah, he'd sign a few things for them, stand to pose for a picture with them and the assistant would let them check over the picture before they were done, to make sure it had taken before they moved on to Taylor, where they'd repeat the process.

Matt, Mike, Ryan, Finn, and Noah's three male cousins, Logan, Rich and Kevin, found seats at one of the empty table, talking sports and other things they had in common, while Artie, Kurt, the Glee girls and Noah's three female cousins sat at another table.

"I think it's a good thing that Noah's mom is a nurse and Rachel's dad is a doctor, because some of those girls look like they're going to pass out next to Taylor," Quinn commented. "You'd think they'd be used to celebrities by now."

"They're used to Noah, but no one else. We were all prepared for Taylor's visit, but everyone is shocked," Artie said.

Mercedes nodded in agreement, "he has a point."

Rachel and Noah's cousins were at the same table, but they were having a different conversation at the moment and Rachel was enjoying learning about Noah's family, "so wait a second, how many children does your grandma have?" Rachel asked Kelly and Laura.

"Two boys and two girls," Kelly said.

"So if Ethan is one of the boys, I thought his brother lived in New York; it was his party that Noah was 'discovered' at," Rachel replied.

"He did," Laura commented, "or we did. I'm his brother's daughter. Logan is my twin brother. We lived in New York for a while, but moved to Cleveland just before we started ninth grade, after Noah got famous; we're Juniors now, too," she explained.

"Oh, I see. I didn't realize you'd moved," Rachel admitted.

Laura nodded, "dad always wanted to move back to Ohio to be closer to family. He tried to get a job in Lima, but he couldn't find one. He ended up getting one in Cleveland, so we moved there."

...

Noah and Taylor got a system going after first few people; they wanted to give enough time to each person to actually talk to them, but kept in mind there were a lot of students and only a few hours, so as someone would walk up to them, they would stand up, greet them, pose for a quick picture and then sit down to sign something, all the while talking to them.

Standing up, Noah smiled at two girls walking towards him, one had dark hair and the other had curly red locks, "hey Carly," he greeted the red head, familiar with her from his English class.

"Hey Noah!" She gave him a quick hug, "awesome concert. This was way better than the one in Columbus."

"Really? You were there?"

"Yeah, Crystal and I went," she motioned to her friend, "Noah this is my best friend Crystal. Crystal this is Noah."

Noah turned to the dark haired girl and smiled, "hey Crystal, nice to meet you."

"You, too, Noah. I've seen you around, but I've never had the opportunity to meet you officially," she admitted calmly.

"I'm around. Say 'hi' if you want," he replied with a smile, "I don't bite."

The two girls giggled and Carly passed her camera to the assistant who was taking the pictures, "do you want both of you in the same picture or separately?"

"Group and separately, if that's alright," Crystal said.

"No problem," Noah commented with a smile, slipping his arms around the girls shoulders.

Once the two girls were ready, the flash went off and the assistant moved forward long enough for Carly to look at the picture, and then she stepped back with the camera to take one of each girl with him.

Noah kept his arm around Carly's shoulders as Crystal slipped out of the picture and Carly put her arm around his back, the two standing casually to pose for the picture. Once it was taken, and Carly glanced at it, she moved aside.

Crystal stepped towards Noah, "can I have a hug first?" She asked hopeful.

"Sure," Noah smiled and wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug.

As they hugged, Crystal caught a glimpse of Rachel's jealous expression and grinned inwardly, thinking, "_your spoiled girlfriend is jealous, Puck... Awesome._" The two parted from their hug and turned towards the camera for their picture.

After the photo was taken, Carly got her camera back and pulled out a 'Puck' t-shirt she wanted him to sign along with a CD and Crystal got out his latest CD, "I hope someday I can find a guy like you," Crystal told him, "your girlfriend is so lucky."

Noah smiled as he signed her CD, "thanks," he glanced towards where his girlfriend was sitting and then looked back at them, "I'm luckier," he admitted, picking up two of his pictures and writing '_Crystal - you'll find a great guy one day. Thanks for the love, Puck_' on one and on the other he wrote, '_Carly - see you in English class next year! Thanks for the support, Puck_'.

The two girls looked at the pictures as he signed Carly's CD and then laid out the t-shirt from his concert tour and picked up a silver Sharpie to sign it, 'Love ya, Puck' before carefully handing them their things, "see you two next year," he smiled at them, also giving them a few guitar picks that'd been handing out to everyone; the same ones he'd used during the concert..

"Thanks Noah. Have fun in New York, see you in class," Carly told him.

"Can't wait to see the video. Thank you for signing this stuff," Crystal said holding up the picture and CD. Silently adding, "_one day, Puck, you'll be that great guy._"

"You're welcome," he nodded at them as they stepped away, walking towards Taylor.

...

"Rachel, you're looking a little green. Are you trying to look like Elphaba?" Kurt asked with a grin.

"Huh?" Rachel broke her gaze from the mass of students all waiting for their turn.

"I said, 'you're looking a little green. Are you trying to look like Elphaba?'" Kurt asked again. "Or are you getting jealous?"

"Jealous? No," she shook her head, "I have to expect this, but it is a little difficult to see him hugging other girls."

"It's okay to be jealous, but Noah wouldn't cheat on you, so don't worry about it," Jessica assured her.

Rachel smiled, "thanks."

...

How the two teen celebrities managed to greet every student staff member who was in line, take pictures and sign stuff for them, no one, not even the two boys would ever figure out, but they managed to sign the last autographs just after the bell rang to end the school day, officially beginning Winter Break.

Their moms had been bouncing around, taking pictures of their sons in their element and Rachel joined the picture taking, wanting to have some for her own use and once the students were gone, the Glee Club, and Noah's cousins got up in 'line' and did the 'fan' thing with the guys, getting their picture taken with each of them and having them sign a picture for them.

Rachel's camera had been used; she behind it, and when everyone had gone, Rachel turned her camera off, "whoa hold up, you're forgetting someone," Taylor commented.

"Who?" Rachel looked around.

"You, babe," Noah replied, standing up to take her camera from her.

Rachel blushed, but took the hint, moving to stand next to Taylor and Noah took the picture of them together, and snapped a few while Taylor was writing something on his picture and then handing it to her. Taylor and Noah then switched, but Noah sat down in his seat one last time to sign a picture for her. Rachel moved to stand beside him, leaning her hip against his side and her arm around his shoulders to watch him write, '_My Rachel - one day our stars will shine together, I love you. Always yours, Noah_', and added his family autograph to it before he turned to her and stood up, taking her hand and moving to stand where he had for all the other pictures, but this time he guided her in front of him and he slipped his arms around her waist, rested his chin on her shoulder and she leaned her head back just slightly as she placed her hands on top of his.

Taylor took that picture, and one of them standing together, the same way everyone else had one, and then got one of them kissing before handed her camera back, "I don't know how we did it man, but that was fun," Taylor grinned.

"Yeah it was," Noah agreed, "but I'm tired."

"Oh, that too," Taylor nodded, "well, I just sat and signed stuff or stood for pictures, you performed for an hour and a half, on top of autographs and pictures."

Noah nodded, "exactly," he replied, rubbing his face with his free hand.

"Hey Finn," Elliott said, catching his attention.

"Yeah?" Finn looked at Noah's manager

Elliott walked towards the large group of teens and had Carole and the parents near him, "have you thought much about what you want to do after high school?"

"Uh," Finn narrowed his eyes on confusion, "not really," he shrugged, "why?"

"I think it's safe to say that after what you pulled off today, without any time to prepare, other than a few hours to run through the music with the band, that once you and Noah graduate and he goes back into the studio to record his new album, he'll have a new drummer," he paused, "you, if you want the job. You don't have to decide right now, and it's a big decision that would involve talking about it between you two, your families and significant others, and a move to New York, but if it's something you want to do, and you and Noah can agree it's the right decision, I can make it happen," Elliott told him truthfully.

Gasps echoed through the group of teens and adults as Finn's mouth fell open in shock. Six hours prior he never thought he'd ever get an offer like that from Elliott; he'd only done it to help out his brother, not expecting anything in return, but to get that offer, he was speechless for a moment, but after looking at Noah, he turned back to Elliott, "I... um, appreciate the offer, but like you said, we have time and I have to have a lot of conversations before I make that decision," Finn replied.

Elliott nodded, "the offer's on the table from here on out. Just say the word and I'll get you in."

"Thank you, Elliott," Finn smiled, still stunned from the offer.

...

After the shocking job offer to Finn, the group of teens and adults began to dwindle. Rachel's dads and Finn's mom left, and then the Glee members began to say 'goodbye'. Noah had thought about throwing a small party at his place the next day, but with everything going on the last week, he'd kind of forgotten about it, and he knew Taylor just wanted to relax, so he and Rachel were saying 'goodbye' to their friends for the break and Taylor, though promising to keep in touch, wasn't sure the next time he'd be able to come back, but did agree he'd try to visit again soon.

Noah walked Rachel to her locker so she could pick up her bags and things for the break that she'd need, and she giggled as he opened her locker for her, having memorized her combination, "I didn't know you knew my combination," Rachel commented reaching inside to get her messenger bag, opening it up to think about her homework and books she'd need.

"I learned it weeks ago. Thought if I ever wanted to drop something off or surprise you, it'd be nice to know," he told her, leaning against the cool metal of the lockers near hers.

"You're right," she agreed, closing her locker once she had what she needed and then slipped her arms around his waist, "today was unbelievable," she murmured.

He returned her hug, "why is that?" He asked, unsure what she was meaning.

"The school... They go from classmates to huge fans and no one booed when you brought me up on stage... I really thought they would, and then... What you did for me, and then Elliott offering Finn the job as your drummer... I got to meet some of your family... So much happened today; it's a lot to take in," she admitted.

"You're right, it is," he agreed, letting his chin rest on her head as they stood there, "I was shocked that Elliott did that, too, but it's been something I've thought about before and I know we'll discuss it. We've got a year and a half to figure it out," he added, "yeah, you met my family, but it's hard when there's so much going on; I'm gonna invited all my family down sometime in the new year for a party and you can meet them officially then. Right now, I'm ready to get to New York and spend the break with my girlfriend and family," he smiled.

Rachel nodded, "me too. I'm so excited," she grinned, "two weeks, in New York, with my boyfriend. It's going to be amazing."

"Damn right it is," he pressed a kiss to her lips, "and you know what is even better?"

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

"I finally have someone to kiss at midnight," he said truthfully.

"I do, too," she agreed snuggling up to him for a moment, "and it's the best feeling in the world."

"It is," he nodded, then grinned as he draped his arms around her, "wanna practice?"

...

**Music used in previous chapter(22):  
**1. Gotta Be Somebody - Nickelback  
2. Don't Tell Me - Nolan Gerard Funk (Spectacular! Soundtrack) (writes)  
3. No Boundaries - Kris Allen  
4. Stand - Rascal Flatts (writes with Ethan)  
5. The Time of My Life - David Cook  
6. Who I Am - Nick Jonas & The Administration (writes)

**Music used in this chapter:  
**7. Home - Daughtry (writes with Ethan)  
8. In My High School - Blaine Larsen (writes with Ethan)  
9. You Know I Will - Lucas Grabeel (writes)  
10. Find Out Who Your Friends Are - Tracy Lawrence  
11. Crush - David Archuleta  
12. Kiss a Girl - Keith Urban  
13. Do I Make You Proud - Taylor Hicks  
14. Light On - David Cook  
15. Here's To You - Rascal Flatts (writes)  
16. Live Like We're Dying - Kris Allen

You can see Puck's 3 CD track listings and his logo by going to my LiveJournal here:  
( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com / 33565 . html )

**Disclaimer2:** In real life, I do not own these songs, nor did Noah Puckerman or his dad write them. They belong to their respective writers/artists and are used here in a work of fiction.

...

A/N6: Wow! The concert is over, LOL. I've had this playlist on iTunes since like April... That's 4+ months that I've waited to write the concert! This is one of the playlists that I listen to a lot! With so many lyrics I split up the concert into two parts... The playlist I created had a great breaking point just after 'Who I Am', so I used this at the split point.

A/N7: When I first named Crystal, I gave her the last name of 'Sandburg', but I've decided to change her name to 'Sanchez'. I finally figured out who she looks like in my mind... Francia Raisa who plays Adrian Lee on 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager'. I've never watched the show, but when I was surfing on ABC Family's website for another show, I saw a picture of her and I saw Crystal, so since she seems Latina, I decided to give her a more Latin name.

A/N8: **Up next:** Taylor's last few days in Lima, packing and then the Puckermans and Berrys are off to the Big Apple!

A/N9: Tumblr users... I'm EJ8302 on there. Same as on Twitter. Check me out. I reblog mostly Mark Salling pictures, Lea, Puckleberry, and sometimes others, depending on what there is.

A/N10: I post my fic on FF and LJ, so in case any of my fic is deleted from FF without me knowing about it, all of it is posted at my LJ. One day I want to set up my own website. There is a 'bot' going around looking at 'M' rated fics to see if they are breaking the rules with 'MA' material, and also 'songfics' which break the terms of service on FF. I heard about it from a Yahoo! Group I'm in for another fandom and the information seems legit. Any authors out there who would like me to forward the email, PM me and we'll discuss how I can forward you the email.

**Family note:** Tuesday, September 14 is the day that my mom and I will be going to Seattle to see the specialist and find out what she has. Your thoughts and prayers mean so much to me and I truly appreciate them all! Love you guys!

...


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

"Mum, what are you doing here?" Ryan asked, noticing his mom was walking towards the school as he was walking out with Mercedes and Kurt.

The brunette woman smiled, "hey sweetheart. I came to speak with Noah and Taylor," she replied, holding up a pass exactly like the one they all had, but hers had her name in on, 'Patricia James'.

"Oh, I thought this was a private event with no press," Ryan commented, knowing she worked for the Allen Herald, the newspaper for the county Lima is in, which has their offices in Lima.

"No outside press, but Mr. Puckerman stopped by yesterday before I left my office and asked me to come up after school got out to talk to them and get pictures. Noah requested me because he knew I was your mom and worked for the Allen Herald, which is the only paper he wants to run an official story," she explained.

Ryan nodded, "okay. Thank makes sense. Um, I'll go back in with you and introduce you," he said, turning to Kurt and Mercedes, "have a great holiday break, Kurt, Mercedes. See you next year," he told them with a smile.

Mercedes looked at Kurt with a 'go on' look and Kurt cleared his throat, "um, thanks, but we'll wait with you. I actually wanted to talk to you before we left," Kurt admitted.

"Oh, alright," Ryan nodded, "mum, this is Kurt and Mercedes, they're fellow Glee Club members. This is my mum, Patricia. She's an editor at the Allen Herald," Ryan introduced them.

"It's so nice to meet you two, but please, call me Patty. Patricia is so official," she laughed, shaking their hands.

"You, too, Patty," both Kurt and Mercedes said with a smile.

As Patty and Kurt shook hands, Kurt was trying not to blush, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to ask Ryan out and he'd just met Ryan's mom, so it was a big deal, but he didn't want to make it look like one at the moment.

The four headed back into the school and towards the cafeteria where they had last left Noah, Taylor and their families and as they walked in, Ethan noticed Patty and came over to them, "hey Patty, you made it."

"Yeah, I was just getting here and bumped into these three," she replied, motioning to Ryan, Mercedes and Kurt.

Ethan nodded, "I see. Ryan, we were going to mention this to you, but there's been other things going on, it just didn't cross our minds," he explained.

Ryan shrugged, "it's alright. I understand. No big deal, I love her, so I don't mind her around," he smiled slipping his arm around her.

"I love you, too, sweetheart," she replied with a smile, kissing his cheek.

Ryan scrunched up his nose and rubbed his cheek where she'd kissed him, "but you don't have to do that," Ryan blushed.

Taylor, Quinn and Finn walked over to them and Taylor smirked, "it must be a mom thing because my mom and Noah's does that sometimes, too," Taylor commented.

"Mine, too," Finn agreed.

Ryan nodded and then introduced Taylor, Quinn and Finn, "uh, where's Noah and Rachel?"

"Noah just walked Rachel down to her locker so she could get her things for break. They'll be back in a bit," Ethan replied.

The group slowly moved over towards the others. Ethan introduced Patty to everyone else and as Kurt set his stuff down on a table, he looked at Ryan, "Ryan, do you think we could talk, um, in private?" He asked.

"Sure," Ryan stood up, "where?" He asked dropping his backpack by Kurt's.

Kurt led him out of the cafeteria and down the hall, slipping into a corner bay of lockers that was empty and out of the way, "so, um, what's up?" Kurt asked curiously.

Ryan looked at him a little confused, "not much," he replied, wondering why Kurt wanted to speak with him in private.

Kurt took a deep breath, "are you, um, do you have plans for Winter Break?"

"Not really. My dad is flying in for the holiday, so we can spend it together. He and mum are still friends. We're going to spend some time with her family, but other than that we won't be doing much," Ryan explained, "how about you?"

"It's just my dad and I. We go to my grandma's house for Christmas, but not much else. I was, um," he bit his lip nervously, "well, if you're still going to be in town, and I will be... Well..."

Ryan noticed the nervous look on his face, and how he was trying to ask something, but couldn't, so he took a step forward, lifted his hand to rest against Kurt's cheek, "tell me to stop if you want," he admitted, leaning in and when he was mere inches from Kurt's lips and Kurt showed no signs of stopping him, Ryan pressed his lips to Kurt's in a soft, yet gently kiss, keeping in mind he probably just had his first kiss. When they slowly pulled away, Ryan smiled at him, "what we you going to ask me?" He asked softly.

Kurt blinked as his mouth fell open in shock, but quickly recovered, "would you like to hang out over the break?"

"I'd love to," Ryan replied honestly.

"Wow," Kurt murmured, "I didn't expect that to happen. That was my first kiss."

"I thought it might be," Ryan admitted, "I couldn't help it. I've wanted to do that for three months and a half months."

"Really?" Kurt's eyes widened again, "since school started?"

"Aye," he nodded, "I've had my eye on you since I first saw you at the beginning of school, but I didn't know how to approach you, then when I joined Glee and you were in there, it was like... I... I wanted to admit I was gay right away in hopes that if you were interested you'd come to me. I didn't want to pressure you."

Kurt smiled and wrapped his arms around Ryan's neck and kissed him, an unspoken 'thank you' from the inexperienced Sophomore.

"How come Kurt and Ryan can make out in the hallway, but we can't?" Noah's voice echoed.

Rachel and Kurt gasped at the same time, Rachel's hands going to her mouth in shock and Kurt pulling away from Ryan to look at a them, Noah with a big smirk on his face, "Noah, Rachel... Um..."

"It's about damn time, Ryan," Noah commented walking towards them.

"Actually, Kurt came to me, I had to untie his tongue," he admitted.

"I'm sure you did," Noah smirked, "and then tied it right back up with yours."

Rachel smacked her boyfriend in the shoulder and then squealed and skipped forward, "this is so awesome! Now I don't have to keep it a secret anymore," she said hugging Kurt.

"Secret?" Kurt looked at her, Noah and then Ryan.

"Um, I told them that I liked you when Noah heard me singing his song," Ryan blushed, "I asked them to keep quiet because, like I said, I didn't want you to feel pressured or think I was only joining the club because of you. That was a benefit, but I did want to join after they asked me to."

"It wasn't my information to tell, so I wouldn't have said anything anyway," Noah explained.

"I wanted to play matchmaker, but I wanted to give you two some time to get together before I did," Rachel grinned, "so..."

"We haven't set anything official yet, but we're gonna hang out over break and see what happens," Kurt replied, looking at Ryan.

Ryan nodded, "yeah, we will," he agreed.

"Congrats guys," Noah said nodding at them.

"Thanks," Ryan smiled, "um, Noah, my mum is here."

"Oh, awesome. I wasn't sure what time she'd get here. Sorry I forgot to mention I asked her to come," Noah said.

"It's alright. I understand," he replied.

"I should probably get up to the cafeteria," Noah commented, motioning towards the hallway, "I want to talk to your mom and see my family before they leave," he added.

...

In just a few hours after school let out, McKinley was back to normal, showing no signs that there had been a concert there, or two celebrities signing autographs in the cafeteria.

Patty got some quotes from Will, Principal Figgins, and a few of the other adults and teens there who had seen the concert and then talked with Noah and Taylor, saving pictures until the end. Noah's family and Taylor's opted out of them, but Finn, Quinn and Rachel were okay with getting in them. Noah, still in his football t-shirt, put his Letterman's jacket on and she first got one of Noah and Taylor next to an indoor sign saying 'William McKinley High School'. Back in the cafeteria, she took one of Finn, Quinn, Taylor, Rachel, and Noah standing together, under the large red and black 'WMHS' painted on the wall. Finn also had his Letterman's jacket on and Quinn was in her Cheerios uniform; a great picture of them all together, showing off the 'school spirit' that Noah had around him.

Kurt told Mercedes about him and Ryan, and she was happy that he had finally talked to Ryan, but they kept it quiet because they didn't want to make a big deal of it at the moment, wanting to wait until they had a chance to talk alone, away from friends and family.

Ryan, Kurt and Mercedes left when Patty did and reluctantly, Noah had to start saying goodbye to his relatives. They wanted to get back to their homes, two to three hours away before it got too late at night, since it was the middle of Winter and there was a chance of some snow in the next few days, so Noah promised he'd visit as soon as he could.

Noah and Taylor walked Finn, Quinn and Rachel out to their cars and then the boys went back inside and said 'goodbye' to Noah's band and the others who were there, because they were heading to Columbus that night for an early flight back to New York.

With such a late night getting back to the house; almost six, the Deborahs stopped on their way back and picked up take-out and after dinner, Noah and Taylor ended up downstairs watching a few movies before crashing early that night, tired from the big day they had.

...

The front page of the Saturday Allen Herald was two large pictures taken the day before, the one of just Noah and Taylor and the other with the five teens, Quinn, Finn, Taylor, Noah and Rachel together in the cafeteria, with the headline being: '_Lima Born and Raised 'Puck' Thanks His School With Concert_'. The article was well written and very accurate, the quotes from many of them were used and it explained that it was a private event for students and staff of McKinley, along with some close family members who came to see him and Noah was thanking the school for accepting him as a fellow student and Lima resident.

Saturday was spent lounging around the house, but then packing began for everyone. Taylor didn't want to leave; he enjoyed his short, yet fun time in Lima. He hadn't seen much of the town, but the time he spent with Noah's friends was awesome and he definitely wanted to come back.

Noah and Taylor both spoke on the phone with Rachel; she was staying at home to pack and do some of her homework so she didn't have a lot to take with her.

Around eleven on Sunday morning, Carole, Finn, Quinn, Rachel, Alan and David arrived at the Puckerman's to have lunch before the Lautners left to head back to Detroit.

As lunch came to a close the moms and the girls cleaned up the kitchen and dinning room while the others helped pack up the Lautner's SUV and make sure they had their things.

Taylor, Finn and Noah were in in Finn's room, which Taylor had been using and the guys sat down around the room, "I'm really glad we came down," Taylor admitted, "I had a blast."

Noah smiled, "I'm glad. Door is always open, you're welcome any time," Noah added.

"I'll take you up on that, for sure," Taylor agreed, "now I really do see why you love it here. The school was great; sure everyone was shocked I was there, but they still treated me like a friend and not just their favorite celebrity they got to meet."

"Yeah, it's great," Noah agreed, "I love it. Sure at first everyone was excited I was here, but now I can go to Wal-Mart and not have girls running up to me or following me through the store," he smirked, "I'm still careful about when and where I go, but for the most part, I don't need to worry."

"And that's what is awesome about it. I wish I had that. Especially now with the movie out, and 'Eclipse' coming out in the summer. I can't go anywhere without a camera in my face," Taylor sighed.

"Whenever you need a break, you know where to come," Noah told him honestly.

"Thanks," Taylor smiled and looked at him, "so, you and Rachel seem pretty serious," he said, changing to a topic he wanted to bring up.

Noah nodded, "we've been together for three and a half months and they've been amazing. I love her so much."

"Love her enough to marry her?" Taylor asked with a grin.

"Yes," Noah replied honestly. "If we were a few years older and out of high school, I'd marry her in a heartbeat."

Taylor's eyes blinked as his mouth fell open; the question was meant to tease his best friend and he knew they were serious, but he didn't realize it was _that_ serious, "okay, wow. I didn't expect that response. I mean, I can see it, you two getting married, but I didn't think you'd admit it."

"Why not? It's the truth," Noah told him, "some guys get with girls and when things don't work out, they break up. It happens, it's a fact of life, but with Rachel; when I found her, I knew she was the one and I'm not letting her go. I love her and one day I'll marry her, if that's what she wants," Noah explained.

"I think in a few years we'll be fighting over who's gonna be 'best man'," Finn told Taylor with a grin.

Taylor laughed lightly, "dude, you've known him longer, you can have that job. I'll settle for groomsman," he replied.

"Why can't I have two?" Noah asked, "which is what I plan to have. So you might as well start planning," he added.

David hadn't meant to overhear what Noah and the guys were talking about, but he'd offered to go tell them Taylor's family was just waiting on him and when he heard his daughter's name, he couldn't help pausing outside the door to listen, and hearing Noah honestly tell his two best friends that he wanted to marry Rachel one day, made him smile, knowing Noah was that serious about his daughter. Not wanting to give off that he'd been listening, he took a few quiet steps away from the door and then walked casually to it, "hey guys, Taylor, your family's ready to go. They're just waiting on you," David said.

"Okay, David, thanks," Taylor stood up, grabbing his backpack and duffel bag, "I've got everything."

Finn exited the room first, followed by Taylor and when Noah walked out, he stopped next to David and waited until the other two had started down the stairs before looking at his girlfriend's dad, "I meant what I said; I didn't just say it because you knew you were standing in the hallway," Noah told him, "I saw your shadow."

David blushed lightly, but nodded, "good to know."

"Are you okay with that? With what I said, I mean," Noah asked nervously.

"I don't know. Are you asking for her hand in marriage or are you asking if I'm alright with you being serious about my daughter?" David asked him as they headed towards the stairs.

"We're not ready to get married, and when I want to propose, I'll ask you and Alan officially... It's my plan someday, but I guess, right now, I hope you're okay with me being serious about her and thinking like that," Noah replied.

David rested his hand on Noah's shoulder and smiled, "we are," he replied, "you're already part of our family, so we can see you two making it official. When you two graduate from high school and have been together a few years, come ask us, but I think you already know what our answer will be," he told him.

Noah smiled and nodded, "thanks, David."

"You're welcome," he replied, as the two moved outside where Taylor was just finishing putting his bags in the back of their SUV.

The four Lautners said their final 'goodbyes' with hugs and handshakes to everyone and as Taylor hugged Rachel he smiled, "keep him out of trouble. I don't want to hear he got arrested or anything," he teased.

Rachel giggled, "I'll keep him in line," she replied.

Noah and Taylor shared a real hug and soon the family was climbing into their SUV and was pulling away from the house. They waved out the windows as Ethan opened the gate from the button he had in his hand and in just a few minutes the black vehicle was gone from sight, so they all headed back inside to the warmth of the house and Noah got a text from Taylor: '_Thanks for the amazing visit. Will do this again soon. Love ya all!_'

...

Carole, Finn and Quinn stayed for a short time to discuss some details of their trip to New York and then left, hugging their friends and wishing them a fun time and they'd see them soon.

David, Alan and Rachel stayed a little longer, finalizing their plans for the next day and having dinner before the Berrys left, heading home to finish packing.

...

"Are you sure you have everything?" David asked Rachel Monday morning.

"Yes, daddy. I went through my room this morning again and made sure I had everything. Cell phone charger, laptop stuff, cords, homework, trust me, I have what I need," she promised.

"Do you have a heavy jacket and boots?" He asked, "it is Winter."

Rachel looked at him and nodded, "yes, I packed my Winter boots last night and I'm wearing my jacket so it doesn't get smashed in my luggage. Besides, Noah told me if we did forget something, we can get it there. It's New York City, not a deserted town," she added with a grin.

"Hun, she has a point," Alan commented from the hallway.

David looked between Rachel and Alan and his shoulders fell, "yeah, that is true," he agreed.

Two weeks was a long time to be gone, but they had packed enough clothes and the Puckerman's condo did have a washer and dryer so, like Rachel said, there were options if more things were needed.

Packing up Alan's SUV, the three made one last check through the house, turning off certain lights and leaving others on. Rachel and David's cars were parked in the driveway, so it did look like someone was home and Alan's trustworthy coworker was going to keep and eye on the house while they were gone. Locking up the house, they piled into Alan's SUV and headed out to the Puckerman's house to find Noah and Ethan packing up his SUV.

Rachel hopped out to go greet her boyfriend, "good morning!" She said happily.

"Morning, babe," Noah wrapped his arms around her in a hug and kissed her, "how are you?"

She grinned brightly as they pulled from their kiss, "great! I'm so excited!"

"I'm glad," he replied, "I am, too."

"Alright, well, that's it, other than Arin's things," Ethan admitted. "Have you guys eaten?"

"No, we were going to stop and pick up something on the way," David replied.

"Us, too," Noah commented slipping his arm around Rachel's shoulder and guiding them all back into the house.

"Is Arin still packing?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, mom is helping her. She was mostly done last night, but the last few things she needed to get packed," Noah replied.

...

It didn't take long for Deborah and Arin to come downstairs with her bags and once they were loaded into the car and the Puckermans had an opportunity to double check that they had everything, they were locking the house up and heading towards the cars, "Noah, are you going with us or with Rachel, Alan and David?" Deborah asked.

"I'll go with them, if it's alright," he commented, looking at the Berrys.

"You're welcome to come along," David said.

"Alright," Ethan nodded, "then let's get going. Stop at McDonald's in town and then we'll be on our way."

Arin, Deborah and Ethan got into his SUV and Rachel, Alan and David got in theirs, and once Noah had gotten his carry-on from his family's vehicle, he slid into the Berry's and soon they were on their way. Stopping at McDonald's, David and Ethan went inside to get their cars' orders and once they returned and their driver's had eaten, they continued on their trip to Columbus.

About half way to the airport, Noah looked at Rachel; they'd been talking about random things, but he had something he wanted to ask her, "hey babe," he caught her attention and when she turned to him, he continued, "I got a question for you."

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"You've gotta look at me, so what do you think... Shaved head or just trim this?" He ran his hand through his hair, now several inches long and starting to curl.

Raising a curious eyebrow at him, she then realized why he was asking, "you're asking me. It's your head," she replied.

"I know, but like I said, you have to look at me, so would you rather look at me with a shaved head or just have it short. If it gets much longer it's gonna curl. I thank my dad for that minor trait," he muttered.

Rachel giggled, "I think you'd look cute with a little curl in your hair," she replied unbuckling her belt to slide closer to him and once she was buckled back in, she snuggled against him, "I don't mind your head shaved, but I like you better with it short, like what you've got now," she replied running a hand through his hair.

He nodded, "thank you. That's what I wanted to know," he grinned pressing a kiss to her lips as he wrapped his arms around her.

"What do you want your hair like?" She asked, "because you don't have to ask my permission to do something to your hair, you know."

"I know," he nodded, "I just wanted your opinion. I wanted to leave it short like this. I'm over having a shaved head," he admitted, hearing his phone ring in his pocket. Digging it out he looked at it and saw it was his manager, "hey Elliott," he said, "yeah, we're about halfway to the airport. We should be landing about four in New York... What?" Noah raised a curious eyebrow, "they want me there? I just wrote the music, I don't need to be there," he said rubbing his forehead, "I'm not flying out to LA... Oh, they are? Well, I guess... I guess that will be alright. Finn, Quinn and Carole are getting to NYC on Sunday, so one day in the studio won't hurt, but if it's more then that, they're gonna have to finish without me, because I do want to spend some time with my friends and our families before we go back to school... And no offense, but couldn't you have waited to tell me this when I got there?" Noah looked at Rachel and smiled, kissing her softly on the forehead as she leaned against him, "yeah, dad and I, and one more... Yes... You did?" Noah grinned brightly, "he said 'yes'? This is amazing! It's like... Like a dream come true! When can I contact him? Really? Awesome! I'm so calling when I get there! Dude, thanks for calling me. Did you already tell my parents? Okay, I'll call and tell them. See you in a few hours," Noah grinned and hung up his phone.

"What was that about?" Rachel asked, looking at him.

Noah kissed her lovingly and then called his mom's phone, "I'll tell you when they're on the phone, so I can tell everyone," he smiled. When his mom answered he asked her to put them on speaker phone and he did the same thing, "okay, so guess what!"

"What's going on?" Deborah asked.

"Elliott just called me and told me awesome news!" He exclaimed giddily, "guess who's performing at the Grammy Awards in January... Me! And that's not the best part... Do you know who agreed to perform with me?"

"Did Neil call back?" Ethan asked calmly.

"Yes he did! It's official. I'm performing at the fifty-second Grammy Awards with Neil Diamond," Noah grinned.

Gasps from both cars echoed and Rachel looked at her boyfriend, "Neil Diamond, as in the Jewish singer?"

"That's him," Noah nodded, "they are doing a lot of groups this year, like artists performing with other artists. Taylor Swift is performing with Stevie Nicks and they wanted me to perform with someone I grew up listening to, so I picked Neil Diamond. I didn't think he'd actually agree, but he did. As soon as we get to the hotel on the beach, Elliott is going to give me his information and I'm going to call him sometime soon."

"Oh, Noah, this is amazing. Congratulations, sweetheart," Deborah said over the phone.

"Thanks! Now we can't say anything because it's supposed to be a secret, but of course I'd tell my family," he turned to Rachel and smiled, "and Rachel. Would you like to come to the awards with me?"

Rachel's eyes widened in shock, but then she smiled and nodded, "yes, Noah, I'd love to go," she leaned in and kissed him. "Where is it?" She asked.

Noah returned her kiss happily and held her against him, "Staples Center in Los Angeles. We'd have to miss a few days of school, though. If I'm performing, I need at least a day or two to practice with Neil and the band," he warned.

"It's alright. I understand," Rachel smiled, "I think it'd be alright to miss a few days of school for that," she admitted, looking at her dads.

"We're not going to say 'no'," Alan commented with a grin, David nodding in agreement.

Rachel smiled, "well, it looks like you have a date to the awards," she told her boyfriend.

"The best date ever," he told her, pressing a kiss to her lips, "no offense, dad."

Ethan laughed, "none taken, son."

...

A/N4: This was a build up to the New York trip, so not as much 'action' in here, but I've dropped some hints to the future, like Neil Diamond singing with Noah at the awards and Taylor returning to Lima... Hope you all liked. Review and let me know! **Next up:** Noah's video shoot on the beach in New York, with a special guest in the video.

A/N5: Right now, all of my fics, at the most will have spoilers up until the end of season 1 (1x22 - Journey). I'm not looking forward to having Finn/Rachel thrust down our throats (yuck!), but I can't wait for the new season to start, to see more Mark Salling / Noah Puckerman on my TV and have new music.

**Real life note:** Tuesday, September 14th was major day. Sadly it was confirmed that my mom does have cervical cancer and the tumor is slightly larger than they thought, but the cancer has not spread and is in the early stages, so though it sucks she does have cancer, we are very thankful that it is treatable and the doctors are looking at a 100% recovery. She will begin 5 weeks of external radiation soon, here locally, then after a few week break she will have 5 sessions of internal radiation over in Seattle, twice a week, so it'll be like a span of 10-14 days. After all the radiation is over and some exams and tests, the doctor will do a complete hysterectomy and after 6-8 weeks recovery for that, she should be cancer free. I have faith in the doctors she is working with. The doctor that she saw on Friday, the 17th, (the one who will be doing the radiation here) said it is an honor to work with the doctor in Seattle that is the specialist my mom is seeing, so I know she is in the best hands possible and they are looking for a complete cure of the cancer. Thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, messages, etc., it means so much and over the next few months I'm going to need it. I'm sorry I have not gotten back to everyone; it's been a long few weeks, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of the net, writing and responding to everyone.

...


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

With the epic news that Noah got on their way to the airport, he was on cloud nine, honored to have the opportunity to sing with an artist he grew up listening to and also a fellow Jew, Neil Diamond. Noah knew exactly what song he wanted to sing, but he wanted to keep it a secret until closer to the awards. As he thought about it, he decided that he'd wait until after the video shoot to call Neil, so they didn't have to rush their conversation.

It was four days to Christmas and the airport was pretty busy with holiday travelers, so Noah stayed close to his dad, Alan and David, hoping to blend in with the crowd and thankfully they got through security without a hassle and were on their way to their gate, having already eaten and it was only a two hour flight to New York.

The flight itself was mostly uneventful. There were a few teen girls on the flight who recognized him and asked for his autograph, which he gladly gave and posed for a picture before taking his seat and relaxing for the two hours, knowing he wouldn't have the opportunity for a few more days, since he'd be filming.

"Noah?" Rachel started and when he turned to look at her, she blushed, "I was wondering... When you were talking to your manager, you also mentioned something about songs you wrote and not wanting to go to LA. What was that about?"

"Oh that," he nodded, "remember the movie that I told you I wrote those two songs for?" He asked, hoping he didn't have to say the name, wanting to keep it quiet on the plane.

Rachel nodded, "yes, I remember."

"Well, there's going to be a second one filmed starting in mid-January and during this year I wrote six more songs for the sequel. The male and female leads want me to be in the studio with them when they record the songs, but I don't want to go to LA to do that. Elliott told them that, so they're coming to New York to record their parts between Christmas and New Years Eve," he explained. "I figured one day in the studio wouldn't be so bad, and it'd give you, Quinn and Finn some experience there, ya know?"

"As in..." Rachel pulled a note pad out and wrote 'Joe and Demi?' and showed it to him and at his nod, her eyes widened, "oh wow," she blushed, "really?"

"Yep," he nodded and turned to press a kiss to her lips, "just hope I don't have to worry about competition," he winked.

She giggled, "no you don't. I'm not interested in him. Do I have to worry about competition?" She asked, turning the question around to him.

"Not a chance. I respect her as an artist, but that's it. Same with others," he reached for her pen and paper and wrote, 'like Miley, Taylor S., Selena, etc.', "and there's only one girl in this world I would date," he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, kissing her lovingly, "you. So don't worry," he assured her.

Rachel smiled, "I won't, and I knew that, but it's nice to hear."

...

The airplane touched down at dusk in New York, the skyline still visible, but the light beginning to fade. Rachel was able to get a few pictures from the air before they landed and once the first class passengers filed off the plane, Noah tugged his hood up over his head a little, but tried to stay calm, keeping one arm around Rachel's shoulders and his other around his sister's, while is mom walked next to her. New York's airport was a lot busier than Columbus had been, and in the mass of passengers, it's easy to get separated, and the last thing he wanted was to get one of them lost in the mix.

Reaching baggage claim, they were joined by Tim and Alex, and after greetings were passed around, they began collecting their luggage when it came from the plane, filling up a luggage cart with their bags. When they were sure they had everything, they headed outside and Rachel stopped in her tracks when she saw what was waiting for them.

"What's wrong?" Noah asked, turning to her.

"We're going in a... limo?" She asked.

He smirked, "yeah. What did you expect? Babe, we're not in Ohio anymore," he added, taking her hand and guiding her towards the stretch SUV. "You're with 'Puck' now," he smirked. "Not many girls can say they have two boyfriends and get away with it. Think of it this way, you get two for the price of one," he wiggled his eyebrows as he motioned into the open door, where his mom and sister had already gotten in.

Rachel blushed and climbed into the large backseat and slid over to sit next to Arin and Noah climbed in next, sitting next to her, "I... I guess I didn't realize that we'd be traveling in a limo and I only have one boyfriend, he just happens to be known by something else to the world," she clarified, leaning against him.

...

The thirty minute drive from the airport to Long Beach, New York was quiet. It was hard to see much since it was now dark out, but passing street lights and signs still lit up the night sky as they passed, until they pulled up to the front of the hotel, small yet classy. The hotel was just on the outskirts of the town, right on the beach, and it was pretty quiet, but everyone knew by morning the place would be buzzing with workers of all types for the video shoot.

As the limo came to a stop outside the front door, Elliott and two bellhops came out with carts for their luggage and Ethan, Tim and Alex got out first, followed by Noah, Rachel, Alan, David, Deborah and Arin, "hello everyone. Welcome to Long Beach," Elliott said greeting them all.

Once their luggage was loaded up, the Berry's on one cart and the Puckerman's on the other, they headed inside to get their room keys. Noah and his family got a three-bedroom suite, so he, his sister and their parents could each have their own room and then Rachel and her dad's got a two-bedroom suite for the same reason, but they were both on the same floor and just a few rooms apart.

Dropping off their bags, Rachel, Alan and David headed into the Puckerman's room to talk with Elliott and a few others who would be meeting in there and Noah plopped down on the couch and Rachel joined him.

"Have you asked yet?" Elliott asked Noah.

Noah smirked, "nope, but I probably should," he said turning to Rachel, "hey babe... Would you like to be in my video?"

Rachel's eyes widened, "are you serious? In your video?"

"Who else would be filming a video here?" He kissed her on the lips, "yes mine. I'd love for you to be in it."

"Wow," she looked around, "I... Can I?" She asked, "I mean, I'm not eighteen..."

"Neither am I and all you need is parental permission and your dads just happen to be here," he motioned to them, "and I already asked them if I could ask you."

Rachel looked over at her dads, who both nodded, "I... I would love to be," she told her boyfriend.

...

They had a short meeting about what time things would get going in the morning and Noah and Rachel went down to the room they were using for wardrobe and tried on the clothes that had been picked out and decided on a few outfits to use, and once they were back in their clothes, the teen couple headed back to their floor and on the elevator, Rachel was totally out of it and quiet. "Babe, what's wrong?" Noah asked, concerned.

She shook her head and looked at him, "nothing is wrong, it's just... I'm still shocked I'm going to be in your video. I... I never expected this," she told him.

"I know," he nodded wrapping her up in a hug, "it originally was only going to be me, but I wanted you to be in it, because of what it talks about, I want to spend the time with the girl I love," he kissed her lovingly as they walked down the hall to their rooms.

Rachel blushed, but hugged him and returned his kiss, "I love you, too," she whispered, "and I feel the same way."

...

The first night in New York was quiet. The two families had dinner in the hotel's restaurant and turned in early, because they all had an early morning so they could start filming as soon as it got light enough.

Rachel and Noah walked into the room that was being used for hair, make-up and wardrobe and met up with the stylists they'd met the night before, along with a few others that had arrived that morning and once they were in the clothes for the first part of the video shoot that day, they both sat down in chairs and a stylist started work on them.

"So what are we doing with this?" The woman asked, running her hand through Noah's hair.

Noah smirked, "trimming it. No more mohawk. It's time for a change and to grow up a little."

The woman's eyes widened in shock, but but did understand that he wanted a change and agreed that he was growing up, so it was time to have a little more adult hair style. While Noah was getting a trim, they did Rachel's hair, brushing it out and drying it from her shower, putting it in a casual style without doing any cutting and applied light make-up to both before they were ready to head outside.

As the two walked, Rachel looked at him, "it's so cold out," she murmured.

"I know, babe," he agreed, "I'll keep you warm as best as I can," he promised pulling her close as they walked onto the sand and towards where everyone was set up, including her dads and his family, "if we're lucky we could finish it all today," he admitted.

"It's possible?" She asked in shock.

"Yeah, I mean, we're doing this differently than some videos. Instead of doing parts of the song and the scene to go along with it, like we talked about last night, we're going to do one take of me singing the song through in several ways, and they can pick and choose what pieces to use and when. It doesn't look like there will be any sun today, so as long as it doesn't rain, we should be able to get things done in one or two takes, I hope, at least."

Rachel nodded and as the two reached their families, they greeted them and talked to the director and producer a little more before they started with their day.

...

They started out the morning with three different 'scenes' in the first outfit they were wearing, both were in jeans without shoes. Rachel had on a light blue sweater and Noah was in a gray OSU sweatshirt.

The first scene they did was the two of them sitting on a blanket on the beach, she was sitting watching him play his guitar to the music and sing along and another one was of them walking along the water's edge, his arm draped over her shoulders, while her arms were wrapped around his waist. He sang along to the music, his eyes back and forth looking at her and then to the camera, while she rested her head on his chest, watched him or glanced out over the water. For the last moment of the video, as the final notes played, Noah turned to her, kissed her lovingly and said, "I love you," and she returned the words with a smile.

For these scenes, along with others they would film, the director and producer wanted them to be as natural as possible together, so they only ran through the song a few times for each take, wanting the couple to act as comfortable and unrehearsed as they could, yet still getting what they needed for the video.

With a break to warm up and drink some coffee, they set up the next scene, with a piano. A platform had been built on the beach to put the piano on, but the sand covered it, hiding the wood. Once the piano was uncovered and it was safe to get started with, Noah and Rachel got in their places. Noah sat on the piano bench and Rachel sat with her legs folded under her, on top of the piano, facing him so she could watch him 'play'. The piano didn't have any of the keys hooked up, so Noah could actually press them down without sound coming out, so again, they went through the song a few times, him looking at her most of it, but glancing at the camera randomly.

Content with what they had so far, and with how quick it had gone, they knew they still had a lot of work to do, but there was a good chance they would have everything done before by the time it got dark that day.

"Alright, Rachel, you're done until after lunch. Puck, let's get you into a new outfit, so we can get those two scenes with just you in it, and then we'll break for lunch," the director said to them.

Noah and Rachel nodded and slipped on their shoes, making their way back to the hotel where the wardrobe room was set up and once inside, alone for a few moments, Noah wrapped his arms around her, "it's been a crazy morning, but how are you doing?"

"I'm... I'm okay, but I'm also freezing," she murmured, snuggling up to him.

"I know, I'm sorry," he replied, pressing a kiss to her lips as he rubbed her back and tried to help her warm up a little.

"Don't be," she looked at him and smiled, "I'm having fun and I'm getting to share this with you. I'm enjoying the experience," she told him.

He smiled and relaxed, kissing her lovingly, "I'm glad you're here. It really makes me feel good that I can share this video with my girlfriend, the girl I love," he admitted.

"I love you, too, Noah, and it means a lot to me that you wanted me in your video," she replied.

...

The couple and many of the workers, along with their families had gone inside to warm up while they changed and once Noah was in a black t-shirt and the jeans he already had on, they returned to the beach, with Rachel dressed in her clothes.

It was finally warming up, but the breeze from the water still made it feel a lot colder. Most around were keeping active so they didn't notice the cool air as much, but their families stayed close to the tent with a heater in it, but did watch the filming going on, from a distance to stay out of the way of the workers.

Noah started out at the piano, singing to the camera as he played through the song and after two takes, they were happy with it, so he went for his next scene, which was him walking along the beach, playing his guitar and singing along. As the song came to an end for the second time, the director called 'cut', "alright, that looks great Puck, break for lunch, we'll start back up at two," he called out.

...

The break was much needed for everyone, most now started to freeze from the cold air. After a relaxing lunch inside, Rachel and Noah changed into their final outfit for the video. He was dressed in the same jeans and shirt he had been in, but added a plaid shirt with a collar over it and she was in a strapless dress that had an empire waist and hits her at her ankles. The dress is in a teal and white tie-dye print and over it is a matching teal cardigan.

"Wow," Noah looks her over, having not seen her in that the day before, "you look amazing."

"Really? It's not too much?" She asked nervously.

"No, it's beautiful, you're beautiful," he assured her, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Thank you," she replied, relaxing now that she knew he liked it, since she's not used to dressing like that.

Noah hugged her and kissed her forehead, "you're beautiful in anything you wear," he promised.

Rachel blushed, "thank you," she said again and soon the two were getting their make-up touched up and heading back outside.

...

The scene they started with was for the beginning of the video. Rachel stood on the beach, looking out over the waves and Noah came up behind her, putting his hands over her eyes to surprise her, and she then turned around to hug and kiss him, the point being they haven't seen each other for a while and are meeting on the beach. It only took three takes to get it how the couple liked it, only doing the introduction of the song.

They went back to the blanket they'd been on earlier, but this time, Rachel was sitting between Noah's legs, his arms wrapped around her, resting on her stomach, and her hands were resting on his and they were both sitting, looking out over the water and Noah was singing along to the song. That scene only took one run through to get what was needed, and they had one final scene to shoot.

"Hopefully this will be done in one take," the director commented, "and we saved it until the end because you guys might get wet."

Rachel and Noah talked a little about what they were going to do for the 'playing around on the beach' scene and as the music played, they started out just walking along the water's edge, getting their feet wet and then he grabbed her around her waist and spun them around and when he put her down, she'd got her hand wet and splashed him with some water. He returned the favor, but they didn't soak each other, as they splashed back and forth for the next few moments. While the camera continued to record, Noah and Rachel calmed down a little and hugged, then she jogged ahead of him and he chased after her; she turned around to smile at him and when he caught up to her, he wrapped her up in a hug, picked her up and kissed her happily. She smiled at him and draped her arms around his neck as they kissed, not wanting to let go.

"Cut!" The director called out with a grin, "and that's a wrap on 'Live Like We're Dying'!"

Noah and Rachel slowly pulled away, he set her back down and smiled at her, "I'm so glad you're here," he murmured.

She stood up and kissed him again, "me too," she assured him.

...

The outfits they wore in the video were given to them to keep and once they were back in their clothes, they returned to their rooms to shower and warm up before having dinner with their families.

During dinner, many of the workers came up to say 'goodbye' to Noah and everyone, wanting to get back home soon for the holiday. Noah completely understood and thanked them for helping out with the video before they left and slowly the mass of people staying in the hotel was down to a few.

Elliott, Ethan, Noah and the director and producer talked after dinner briefly before they left, leaving just the Berrys, Puckermans, Elliott, Tim and Alex at the hotel until the next morning.

"Noah, do you think we could go out to the beach for a while?" Arin asked.

"Sure," Noah nodded, "we just gotta get some warmer clothes on and tell mom and dad where we're going. Rachel do you want to go?" He turned to her.

"Yes, I'd like to," she agreed.

The adults were in the middle of a conversation and when Noah said they were going out to the beach, he promised they'd dress warmly and Ethan turned down Tim and Alex's offer to go with them; there wasn't anyone around and they were just going out to the beach, so they'd be safe.

Heading upstairs to their rooms, they three parted; Rachel went into her and her dads' room, while Noah and Arin went into theirs. Noah made sure Arin got a sweatshirt on under her Winter jacket and another layer of pants on before he slid on a pair of jeans over a pair of sweats, and on top of a black hoodie, he put on his Letterman's jacket with some gloves stuffed in the pockets, just in case he'd need them. They met Rachel in the hallway moments later and she was dressed in a sweater with a sweatshirt jacket over it and two layers of pants.

Using the lobby exit, they walked outside and towards the beach, staying on the gravel path and until they got through the dune grass and Noah noticed a few picnic tables with seats attached setting along the sandy edge of the dunes, "why don't we sit here," Noah commented, "we shouldn't sit in the sand and I don't think we should go much further unless we want to ruin our shoes," he said, climbing up onto the table and sitting on it, letting his feet rest on the seats.

Rachel climbed up to sit next to him and Arin looked at them, "do you guys want to be alone?" She asked, seeing Rachel snuggle up to him.

"It's okay Arin. Anything I want to say to Rachel I can say in front of you and I don't want you wandering off in the dark," Noah said patting his lap, "come on, you're not to old to sit on your big brother's lap, are you?"

Arin shrugged, but climbed up on his lap and sat so she was facing Rachel and Noah wrapped his other arm around her back, "thanks, Noah," she told him, "it's just so boring in there and I know you guys want to be together, alone, but I'm the only ten year old here," she said sadly.

"I know it's boring in there," Noah agreed, "it's not set up for families or kids. This place seems like it's for a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the major cities. Don't be upset that you're the only ten year old here. You're totally welcome to hang out with me and Rachel. Like I said, anything I want to say to her, I can say in front of you and this is time for us to spend together, too. You're my sister and I know most teen guys can't wait to get away from their little sisters, but I'm not like that. I love you and I want to spend as much time with you as a I can."

"I love you, too, Noah," she smiled wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him, "I missed you while you and dad were gone, but I really like that you and dad are home for a while."

Noah moved his arm from around Rachel and wrapped both of his arms around his sister in a tight hug, "I missed you, too, kiddo," he replied, pressing a kiss to her cheek as they parted from their hug, "but that doesn't mean I'm not going to give you a hard time and tease you."

Arin laughed, "I know, same here."

"Good," he nodded and returned his arm around his girlfriend and kissed her on the forehead.

"You know, Arin, I think of you as a sister," Rachel commented, leaning her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"You do?" She asked surprised.

"yes," Rachel nodded, "I'm an only child, so I don't have any brothers or sisters. It's fun to have you around. You're welcome anytime and I'm always here if you want to talk and you don't want to talk to Noah or your parents," she explained.

Arin smiled, "thanks Rachel," she said, reaching over to give Rachel a hug.

Rachel returned the hug and then the three of them settled into the relaxing calm of the ocean waves crashing along the shore not far from them.

The three-quarter moon out was lighting up the waves enough so they could see the white caps crash along the shore, the breeze bringing in the salty sea air, cold when it hit you, but comforting and relaxing in other ways.

"Are you cold?" Noah asked, looking at his girlfriend who was snuggling closer to him as a large gust of wind came towards them and he felt her shiver a little.

"Yes, the wind seems to be going right through my sweater and sweatshirt. I should have put on my other jacket, but I thought these would be warmer," she admitted.

"Arin sit up a bit," Noah said softly. When she did, he unbuttoned his Letterman's jacket and took it off, draping it around her shoulders, "put this on, it'll keep you warm."

"But then you'll get cold," Rachel replied, smelling his familiar scent as she slipped her arms into it.

"I'll be fine, babe, you need it more than I do," he told her smiling as he saw her buttoning it up, really liking how it looked on her. "You look awesome in McKinley colors."

"I do?" She asked looking at him.

"Yeah, or maybe it's because you're wearing my jacket that makes it so amazing," he clarified pressing a kiss to her lips.

She returned the kiss and then snuggled against him, "I do like red," she admitted, looking down at the red material and the black 'M' on one side.

Holding her close, with his sister on his lap, Noah was completely content, but hearing a light snore, he realized Arin was asleep. "Arin's asleep," he said softly.

"Oh, she must be tired. She was up early today," Rachel said, "it's getting late," she looked at his watch, seeing it was almost nine at night, "to be honest, I'm tired, too."

Noah nodded, "we should probably go in, too. If we're out here much later we're apt to freeze things off we might want in the future," he smirked.

Rachel giggled and nudged him playfully in the shoulder, "I think that you'll be safe," she replied, climbing down off the table.

Pressing a kiss to his sister's cheek, he woke her up and got her to climb down, and he followed, the three heading back towards the hotel. "That was a nice break," he admitted, putting his arms around Arin and Rachel's shoulders.

"It was," Rachel smiled, slipping her arm around his waist as they walked.

Arin was half asleep, leaning against her brother as they went inside the warm hotel and over to the elevators. It didn't take long before they were walking down the hallway for their rooms. "Would you like to come in?" Noah asked Rachel as they paused outside his family's room.

"Yeah, that'd be alright," she nodded and as he slid the key in to unlock the door, he pushed it open and let Arin and Rachel go in before he did.

Walking inside, he saw his parents kicked back on the couch, "hey," Noah said.

"Hey kids," Deborah sat up a little, "too cold to stay out much longer?" She asked.

"Kind of. Arin fell asleep, so we thought we'd come in," Noah replied.

Arin shrugged, "I guess I'm tired," she said, rubbing her eyes.

Saying 'goodnight' to Rachel, Noah, Ethan and Deborah, Arin went into her room to get ready for bed.

"Are my dads in our room?" Rachel asked curiously.

Ethan nodded, "yes. We just got up here a few minutes ago from downstairs. We're leaving at noon tomorrow for the condo so we all wanted to turn in early and get a good nights sleep. It's been a long day," he replied.

"Yes it has," Rachel agreed looking at her boyfriend, "I should probably go, I'm tired, too," she told him.

"I'll walk you," Noah said.

"Goodnight Ethan, Deborah," Rachel smiled at them.

"Goodnight, Rachel, see you tomorrow," Deborah replied and Ethan nodded, saying something similar as Noah and Rachel walked out of the room and down the hall to her and her dads' room.

Rachel unbuttoned Noah's jacket to get her room key from her pocket, "I guess I should give you back your jacket."

"No," he shook his head, "I want you to have it," he brushed some of her hair back and smiled, "I like seeing you in it."

"But it's your jacket. You earned it. Why do you want me to keep it?" She asked surprised.

"Do you know what the traditions are for them?" He asked softly, letting his hand toy with part of the collar near her neck.

"Um, not really, why?"

He smiled, "one tradition is for a guy to give his girlfriend his jacket for her to wear as a sign that they're in a loving relationship, and I want you to have it because I love you and never want to let you go," he pressed a kiss to her lips.

Returning the kiss, she let one of her hands rest against his cheek and when they pulled away she smiled, "I love you, too, Noah."

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close, "and I know where to find it if I ever wanted to wear it," he added, kissing her cheek, "because I know you like seeing me in it."

She blushed, but nodded, "I do," she agreed, "but I get that you're officially giving it to me," she added relaxing against his chest.

Noah reached for her key card and slipped it into the door and once it was open, guided them into the room, finding David sitting on the couch reading a magazine. "Hey David," Noah said.

"Hey you two," he set the magazine down, "finally got too cold for you guys outside?" He smirked.

"Yes," Rachel nodded, "Arin fell asleep, it was cold and I was getting tired, so we thought it best to come inside."

"A good idea. Too bad it wasn't warmer out, it's beautiful here," he admitted.

"Yes it is," she agreed, "where's dad?"

"Showering and then we're going to bed," he told them.

"I should get to bed, myself," Rachel replied, turning to her boyfriend, "guess you're going back to your room?"

He nodded, "I'd love to stay, but Elliott asked me not to do that while we were here. He said he wouldn't stop me, but requested that we stay in separate rooms to not drop hints that we could have done something else."

"It's alright, I understand," Rachel kissed him, "we talked about it already."

"I know, but still sucks. Once we get to our condo, we can have my room all to ourselves," he grinned, "I miss you in bed."

"I miss you, too," she admitted, kissing him on the lips.

Knowing he should go back to his room to get some sleep, he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and held her close for a long moment before they pulled apart and kissed one more time, "goodnight, love you, babe."

"Love you, too, Noah. See you in the morning," she replied.

"You will," he nodded, saying 'goodnight' to David and leaving the room to return to his.

...

A/N4: A huge thank you to everyone for all your love, support and prayers for me and my family over the past few months. I'm super sorry that it has taken me so long to update my fics, but I'm doing my best; I haven't had as much free time as I usually do and I don't see that changing anytime soon, so it may be a bit before another update, I'm so sorry about that.

A/N5: **Up next:** They're off to the Big Apple.

**Personal update:** Mom had her first treatment of chemo on September 27th and as I write this, she's having another treatment. She's been doing radiation also and aside from being a little tired and not having much of an appetite, she's doing well. We're off to Seattle later in the week for a consultation with the doctor who will be doing the internal radiation to get things going with that. Other than the stress of many doctor's appointments, we're doing okay. Iit sucks that I haven't had as much time to write as I want. Writing is what keeps me mellow, so hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in some more time, so again, I apologize if it's another week or more before another update; I'm trying. I hate making you guys wait this long. Love you all! Thanks again for the support!

...


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

The morning didn't start out too early, but the Puckermans, Berrys, Noah's bodyguards and manager were leaving the hotel at noon, so everyone opted for room service so they had time to finish packing. As Rachel zipped up her suitcase, she heard a knock on her bedroom door, "come in," she called out in response.

"Rachel, sweetie," Alan said, "are you finished packing?"

"Yes, and I already went through my room. I have everything," she replied.

"Good, because you have a visitor," he smiled.

"A visitor?" She narrowed her eyes in confusion and picked up her boyfriend's jacket, slipping it on, "who is it?"

"Come see," he replied leaving her room and heading into the suite's main room.

Rachel followed her dad and paused with a smile on her face, seeing her boyfriend holding a bouquet of reds roses, talking to David. "Noah?"

Noah smiled at her, "hey babe," he walked over to her and kissed her lovingly, "these are for you," he held the roses out to her.

Taking the flowers, she lifted them to her nose and smelled the fresh floral scent, "thank you. They smell wonderful," she replied with a blush, "I... I apologize, but did I forget something?"

"No, you didn't forget anything," he assured her, "this is just because. I hope that's alright."

"That's perfectly alright," she wrapped her arms around him, "I love them."

"I'm glad," he held her close, "I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk on the beach one last time before we leave."

Rachel pressed a kiss to his lips, "I'd love to," she turned to her dads, "is that okay?"

"Of course. Go enjoy the beach before we have to leave. We'll take care of the room and your bags," David nodded.

"Thank you," she moved from her boyfriend to hug her dads 'goodbye'. Leaving her flowers with them so her hands were free, she linked her arm with her boyfriends and the two walked out of the room, "this was a nice surprise."

He turned to kiss her gently as they waited for the elevator, "I'm glad you liked it. Any good boyfriend needs to surprise his girlfriend with flowers when they least expect it," he said with a grin, stepping onto the elevator and pressing the button for the lobby.

Rachel blushed lightly and nodded, "Noah, you're not a 'good' boyfriend. You're a great, amazing boyfriend," she corrected him.

"Thank you, babe," he replied, holding her close to him, "and you're an amazing girlfriend."

The elevator doors opened moments later, and the young couple stepped off, walking out the exit doors of the hotel and towards one of the beach paths. Noah's plan all along had been to walk through the sand, so he'd put flip-flops and shorts on, and Rachel was dressed in a skirt and ballet flats, so once they reached the soft sand, they kicked off their shoes and with hands laced together as they walked, they carried their shoes in their free hands.

"My dad's family lives in Cleveland, or near that area of northern Ohio, by Lake Erie. I love going to visit them to see the lake, but nothing compares to the ocean," he said as they reached the more compact sand near the water's edge.

Rachel nodded, "having only seeing the ocean for a second time, you're right. Lakes and rivers don't compare to being here," she agreed, "um, have you ever thought of buying a place near the ocean?"

"A few times, but I wouldn't be able to enjoy it for more than a few weeks. I'm pretty particular with how I spend my money. Most goes to savings, but I do spend some of it. I just can't see buying a beach house to only be there once and a while," he explained.

"That does make sense," she replied, "I... I didn't want to bring up finances, because it's really none of my business, but I was just curious."

"Don't worry about it," he lifted their hands and kissed hers gently, "I don't mind talking to you about it. The only thing I've really bought was the house we live in in Lima, the three cars for us, and some fun stuff. Dad makes good money being my 'manager' and mom works, so it's not like I have to, but I wanted to. I'm just a teen, I've got the rest of my life to spend my money, so right now, I take care of me and my family and save the rest for later, when I really want something big, or have a wife and kids to spend it on," he replied looking at her.

Rachel smiled, "you want kids someday?"

"Yes," he nodded, "I'd love to be a father. How many, I don't know, but someday, yeah."

"I want to have kids, too. I never had a mom, but I like to think that I'd be a good one," she admitted.

"You'll be a great mom someday, I know it. A little crazy around the edges and hyper, but you've calmed down a lot since I met you, so I'm sure I'll be able to keep the peace," he commented, and then his eyes widened in shock at the implication.

"Noah?" Rachel turned to look at him, shocked at what he said, "are you... Did you..."

Thinking before he spoke, Noah picked his words carefully, "I love you, Rachel, and I'm not letting you go, so I see us getting engaged, getting married and having a family together, that's if you want that," he said, "I... I don't want to push you into anything and I know we're no where near that yet, but that's what I see someday."

Rachel dropped her shoes to the sand and jumped up slightly to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed him lovingly, throwing as much passion as she could into the kiss. Their heartbeats sped up and both could feel the warmth building around them. They continued their kiss, as Noah held her against him, her feet dangling; they felt like they were in a beautiful romantic movie or book with a happy ending and never wanted the feeling of love, comfort and security to end.

Needing air, they reluctantly broke their lips apart, both taking a few deep breaths, but Rachel grinned and kissed his wet lips once more, "I want to be with you forever, Noah, I'm not letting you go, either and I can't wait for us to be married and have children together."

Noah smiled brightly, a weight lifting off his shoulders when he heard her tell him she wanted the same thing he did; he was super happy that she shared his feelings.

...

Hand-in-hand, Rachel and Noah returned to the hotel and found their dads loading up a limo with all of their luggage and two SUVs were parked behind it.

"Who do the SUVs belong to?" Rachel asked.

"Alex and Elliott. Alex picked up Tim and drove out here and Elliott also drove," he explained walking up to everyone, "hey guys, need some help?"

"No, we're good Noah," Ethan replied, "but you could go in and find your mom and sister," Ethan added, "and do you two have your key cards? Elliott is talking to the owner and is collecting them from us."

"Yeah, we'll go check on them," Noah pulled his key out of his pocket at the same time Rachel did and the two went inside to find his mom and sister standing with Elliott and the owner.

"Here he is now," Elliott motioned to Noah and Rachel.

"Hello," Noah smiled at them all.

"Mr. Puckerman, it's been an honor to have you stay here," the owner said.

Noah nodded, "thank you for having us. It is a wonderful place and I appreciate your hospitality and accommodations for the past few days."

"You're very welcome. Please come back anytime," he replied.

"Thank you. I'm sure we will take you up on that offer sometime," Noah agreed.

Noah and Rachel handed over their keys and after a brief conversation, the small group, Deborah, Arin, Noah, Rachel and Elliott finished up and headed outside, meeting up with the guys.

"Alright, we're all set to go," Elliott said pulling his keys out of his pocket.

Once everyone had said 'goodbye', slowly the group began to part, the guys going for their SUVs while the Berrys and Puckermans slid into the limo. The driver closed the door and in just a few moments they were off to lights of New York City.

...

Crossing over one of the many bridges into the city, just under an hour after they left the smaller beach town, the Big Apple was buzzing with life. Yellow taxis sped past in both directions, horns were honking all over, buses were making frequent stops along their routes and people packed the sidewalks as they shopped for their last-minute Christmas gifts; it was after all, only two days until the holiday.

"Noah, what's your condo like? Where is it?"

Noah smiled and looked at her, "it's pretty much in Times Square, but it's off it enough that we don't have to be on the main streets to get to it. It's six bedrooms and takes up half of the top floor of the building. We have half of the roof too, so we can see all around the New York skyline. The view is great," he explained.

"I can't wait to see it. It must be amazing," she told him, "all the lights and various sized buildings."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. The sunsets are amazing," he smiled.

Their drive came to an end as the limo turned off the main streets of New York and into an underground garage and drop off area for the tenants of their building. As the large group piled out of the limo, everyone helped collect luggage until they were sure they had everything and once Ethan paid and tipped the driver, they piled into the small lobby area and loaded onto the elevator and Noah pressed the button for their floor.

The group was quiet on their trip up and once it stopped, they gathered their luggage and stepped off, heading down the hall to their door. Noah pulled his keys out and flipped through them until he landed on the right keys and unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he stepped inside, holding it open for all of them, "welcome to Puck's Pad," he smirked as he motioned inside.

Rachel walked in next and looked around, seeing the foyer of the condo and hallways and doorways scattered about with hardwood floors, posters and pictures decorating the white walls.

Moving down one hallway, they headed for the bedrooms. Ethan showed David and Alan what room they'd be staying in as Noah led Rachel into his room, "you're okay staying in my room, right?" Noah asked.

"Yes, I am," Rachel nodded, following him in and glanced around. A bed sat in the middle, with dressers and a large closet to one side. A few posters decorated the walls, giving it a slight feel to his room in Lima, but it seemed simpler.

"Uh, that's odd. I don't remember this," Noah set his bags down by one of the dressers and looked at his bed, seeing the sheets and comforter all folded at the foot.

"You can thank Alex's wife for that," Ethan commented from the doorway, "she came over while we were at the beach and washed all of our sheets and blankets and opened up the windows for a while to air things out."

"She didn't have to do that," Noah told him.

Ethan nodded, "I know, but she offered to help out so we didn't have to do that when we arrived. While the guys were at the beach with us, she came over one day and did some laundry. I told her she didn't have to, but insisted, so I couldn't say 'no'. I figured it wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah, I guess," Noah agreed as his dad moved from the doorway. Noah turned back to Rachel, "wanna make the bed now or later?"

"Now, so we're not tired later and have to make it then," she said.

Noah moved towards the bed and noticed the pillows were gone, but for the moment, while she stood on the other side, they got the bed ready and Rachel picked up pillows in plastic bags, "I think this is for you," she pulled a note off of one of the bags and handed it across the bed to him.

He took the note and opened it up, reading it out loud, "_Noah - bought you guys some new pillows because yours were getting a little flat. If you want your other ones, they're in your closet and figured you'd need some more around here. - Tara,_" he set the note on the table and smirked, "that's Alex's wife. She's cool. You'll meet her on New Year's Eve," he said.

"New Year's Eve?" Rachel handed him two pillows and she took two and put them in pillow cases, "what are we doing that day?"

"That day, I don't know, but that night, Alex, Tara, their kids, Tim, and a few of my friends who are around will be here," he said.

"Joe and Demi?" Rachel wondered.

"Yeah, if they're still in town, and Zac and Vanessa-"

Her eyes widened, "as in Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens?"

He smirked, "yep."

"Does Arin know?" Rachel asked.

"Do I know what?" Arin asked from the doorway.

"That the couple that plays Troy and Gabriella in High School Musical will be here for New Year's Eve," Noah replied.

Arin grinned and nodded, "I know! It's so cool! You already told me, but I'm so excited; I get to meet them!" She came into the room and threw her arms around his waist.

Noah hugged her, smirking, "maybe I'll go out and buy you the movies, so they can sign them," Noah offered.

"Really? Mom wouldn't let me bring mine," she pouted.

"Yeah, really," he kissed her forehead, "just promise me you won't act like some crazy fan," he begged.

"I won't. I'm not like that," she promised.

"Good," he nodded, "so did you come in to eavesdrop on us or did you need something?" He asked with a grin.

Arin nudged him in the stomach, "I wasn't eavesdropping," she told him. "Mom wants to go grocery shopping and wanted to know if you two want to go. Dad, David and Alan are going with us."

The three headed out of his room and into the living area, finding their parents sitting at the dinning room table, "I'll pass," Noah commented, looking at Rachel. "You're welcome to go, but it's pretty busy out," he said.

"I think I'll stay here, too, if that's alright," she said.

"That's alright. You're welcome to go or stay. Totally up to you," Deborah smiled.

...

Once Noah and Rachel were alone in the condo, he gave her a tour, showing her the study, the bedroom that Quinn, Finn and Carole will be sharing and then headed back into his room, "do you want to see the roof?" He asked as he picked up one of his suitcases and set it on the bed.

Rachel smiled, "that'd be great. Is it going to be cold up there?" She asked, mirroring what he was doing.

"Probably and very windy," he replied, "I'm going to change before we go," he admitted, motioning to the shorts and flip-flops he still had on from that morning.

"I am too. Is there someplace I could hang a few things up?"

Noah smirked and moved over to his closet, pulling open the doors and stepped into the walk-in closet, racks on both sides, one side empty, "go for it. Hang up anything you'd like and you can have the dresser across from the bed. It's empty," he replied.

Rachel was amazed; the closet was bigger than her bathroom at home, "I... wow," she looked around.

"Yeah, tell me about it," he agreed stepping out of it, "I don't do the whole clothes thing, but every time I'm in a photo or video shoot, I usually get to keep what I wear."

"I understand," she nodded, then picked up a few shirts she wanted to hang up, "so you mean you're not one of those celebrities who has one closet for shoes and four or five for clothes?" She giggled.

"Right," he replied with a laugh, pointing to the dresser she could use and then went to his luggage to get some clothes to change into.

Getting into some warmer clothes, the couple wrapped up in jackets, Rachel in his Letterman's jacket and him in his heavy Winter jacket he'd brought, they headed into the main area of the condo, "oh, hang on," he dashed off into the study and came back moments later with a white piece of paper with 'on the roof' written on it, "just in case they get back and we're still up there," he replied, taping it to the wall right across from the door, his usual place for leaving notes for Ethan.

"Oh, that's a good idea," she smiled, "ready?" She asked stepping towards the front door.

"Yes, but where are you going?" He asked with a grin, motioning away from the door.

"I thought there would be stairs up to the roof," she replied, "out in the hall."

"No," he shook his head, "we have a private staircase that goes up to the roof. That's why we, along with our neighbors on the other half of the floor only have access," Noah led her to a door near the balcony and unlocked it. Pulling open the door, it revealed a staircase, so he flipped on the light and motioned for her follow him as he climbed the stairs. When he reached the top, he pushed the door open and stepped outside, holding it open for her.

Rachel stepped onto the roof, her vision flooded with a vast view of the city. She could see water from several spots, the Empire State Building from another, faintly see trees from Central Park and also saw the view of the ball in Times Square, "oh wow, Noah, this is amazing. You see a little bit of everything," she told him.

He nodded, "yeah, "all the windows in the living room, dinning room, my room and mom and dad's have a view of the ball, too, so thankfully we don't have to be up here to see it drop, but we can if we want," he explained wrapping his arms around her from behind as she took pictures.

Moving around, she couldn't help snapping pictures of the view and enjoyed her boyfriend's arms around her, especially when she finally stopped to soak in what she was seeing. "I can't wait to live in this town," she smiled, "there's so much to see and do!"

"Yeah, it's great," he sighed, pulling away to stare at the ball in Times Square. "You say that now, and sure when I first moved here it was cool, but not anymore. The view is okay, but when you're stuck in the studio for hours at a time, then rushed across the city for a tour fitting, then sent back to the MTV studios to record a guest spot on a show or do an interview, and then over to the tour rehearsal studio to practice for the tour, it sucks. There's no time to just be me. It's not as glamorous as celebrities of any kind make it out to be. It's tough on you and everyone you know," he replied, leaning against the railing, looking below to faintly see people walking along the sidewalks.

"That's why you wanted to come home," Rachel stated, now everything becoming clearer, "you were at your breaking point, weren't you?"

Noah nodded, "yeah," he slipped his arm around her shoulders as she stood next to him, "that's why I snapped when we first met. You were talking about being a star on Broadway and I had just come from a tour, was exhausted and needed a major break or I was going to crack."

Rachel snuggled against his body and kissed him, "hopefully I'll be able to keep you from having a breakdown when you go back in the studio and everything else," she told him, "after we graduate and move here."

"We?" He smirked, "you're going through with that?"

"Yes," she nodded, "I've looked into it more and I could take morning classes at the university campus and then after lunch take Spanish, Choir and one other class and be there for Glee," she replied. "I need to talk to Ms. Pillsbury after the new year about getting set up to take the test, but she already told me I'd have no problem getting into the program."

"I know you'll get in," he kissed her lovingly, "and you've already helped me a lot and I know you will keep helping me."

"I'm glad to hear that," she murmured. "Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you called Neil Diamond yet?" She asked.

He shook his head, "not yet. I will later tonight. As far as I know, he lives in California, so I'll probably call after we have dinner and it'll be afternoon there," he said. "It's not like I have to figure out what I'm singing. There's only one song of his that I want to sing," he grinned, "I'm going to perform my new single and then one of his."

"What one?" Rachel asked, knowing Neil had many popular songs.

Noah grinned stepping back from her a little and took her hand in his, "_w__here it began, I can't begin to know when, but that I know it's growing strong,_" both of them began to sway to the music they knew by heart, "_wasn't the Spring, and Spring became the Summer. Who'd believe you'd come along?_" Noah looked at her as they began to dance around the roof, "_hands, touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching you..._" He took her other hand, "_oh, Sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good. I've been inclined to believe it never would,_" she spun away from him and as she came back, he wrapped an arm around her and continued to sing, "_oh, Sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good. Oh, I've been inclined to believe it never would, o__h, no, no..._" He trailed off and smiled brightly at her as he held one of her hands against his heart.

Rachel blushed and could feel his heart beating heavily against her hand, "that was beautiful," she told him standing up on her tip toes to kiss him.

"Thank you babe," he replied, kissing her again, "you're my 'Sweet Caroline'. I was going to wait to tell you, but I couldn't keep it a secret from you any longer."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, "I had a feeling I was, but it's nice to know for sure," she grinned, "and I'm glad you told me, but you didn't have to. I could have waited, though I was curious."

He brushed a hand through her hair and smiled at her, "I know, but I wanted to tell you so I could practice in front of you," he murmured against her lips as he held her close to him.

"You mean I get another private performance?" She asked snuggling against him.

"You can have one anytime you'd like," he replied, kissing the top of her head as he pulled his phone out, "so what do you like to dance to?"

"Huh?" She lifted her head from his chest and turned to look at his iPhone, confused at what he was doing.

"We've got all this space up here," he motioned around, "we should dance. What do you like to dance to?" He smiled, "I've got some jazz, country, pop, rock, the list goes on."

"I don't know what you have on there specifically, but maybe some jazz," she suggested.

Noah pulled up his jazz playlist and hit shuffle, the sound of trumpets, saxophones, drums and other instruments coming out of the small device, in an upbeat tempo, so he slipped it into his pocket so they could still hear it, but his hands were free.

The beat wasn't slow enough to just stand and sway, and soon they were actually dancing around the roof, warming themselves up as they moved. When the upbeat song changed to a slower one, Rachel wrapped her arms around his waist as he wrapped her up in a hug and kissed her forehead, enjoying the moment.

"Do you realize what we're doing?" Rachel asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at her.

She smiled, "we're standing on a rooftop in the middle of New York City, dancing to jazz music."

He kissed her again, "pretty awesome, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," she agreed, "and also romantic. This trip, so far, has been amazing, Noah!" She grinned.

"It has been? Really?" He was surprised she felt that way, but he could understand it.

She nodded, "yes. I didn't expect to be in your video, but I was honored you asked me to be. You brought me roses and we got to spend some alone time on the beach, even if it was cold out, and then we left the beach and came here," she motioned towards the skyscrapers around them, "now we're in New York City and are dancing on the rooftop of your building; it has been a wonderful trip and I know the rest of the trip will be just as amazing," she explained.

Noah smiled at her, "you know, when you put it that way, you're right it has been amazing. I guess, at first, I had to be in 'work mode', but it was a whole different experience when I got to have you with me," he admitted, looking around at the view they had, currently facing the direction of the Empire State Building, "and the view is pretty awesome now that I get to share it with someone I love," he smiled at her.

Rachel returned his smile and nodded, kissing him lovingly, "I've heard that everything is better when you get to do something with the person you love and I admit, I've been to New York before, but it never felt like this. It's totally different and I'm really glad I can share it with you. Maybe I'll be able to change your opinion on the city and make you love it," she told him.

He laughed lightly, but shrugged, "you do make New York seem brighter, but I don't think I'll ever be able to let go of wanting to be in Lima. It's home and it's where I want to live, but I'll accept being here if you're here with me."

"I like being in Lima, too, but maybe," she paused and smiled, "maybe when we get some of the 'starlight' out of our systems, we could make Lima home and start our family there," she offered lightly.

Noah pressed a kiss to her lips, "I think that's a great idea, babe."

...

Lyrics: 'Sweet Caroline' - Mark Salling, on Glee episode 1x08 - Mash-Up. (Originally Neil Diamond)

...

A/N4: I started writing this chapter on 9/20 and finished it on 9/24, way before 'Grilled Cheesus' aired, so I had no clue that the children conversation would come up in the episode; imagine my shock when I began editing this after I'd seen it and realized I had a similar conversation with Noah and Rachel.

A/N5: Hope you all enjoyed! I love writing this fic! It's so fun and the ideas I have for it... Awesome! I love writing 'Out of the Blue', too, but it's more, real life experiences, while this one is fun and stuff you'd find in dreams... Does that make sense?

A/N6: For those of you who don't know, or do not have me on your author alert list, 'Out of the Blue' just turned a year old. On 10/15/09, I began writing it and posted it on my LJ on 10/19/09. In honor of that and it being my first anniversary of writing Puckleberry fic, I write a fluffy little Puckleberry one-shot and posted it on 10/17/2010 called 'Paper'. You can find it on my LJ and FF; it also is part of my fic table, prompt #02 - Celebration. Check it out; I'd love to see what you guys think! For those of you who read it, thanks for reading/reviewing!

**Mom update:** She's doing as well as can be expected. This week she had her 4th treatment of chemo and is almost done with her 4th week of radiation. One more full week of radiation and 2 more chemo sessions and we'll be steps further in her recovery. She's not feeling the best; she's feeling kind of 'blah', much like when someone is just getting over the flu; you can't stomach a lot of rich foods, but you eat what you can to get nourishment into your system. She's taking it easier and I'm doing more errands and shopping for her, so my free time is limited. She saw the doctor who will be doing her internal radiation treatments in Seattle (5 sessions only over a span of a few weeks) and he said she's already showing signs that the tumor is dying and he's looking for a 100% cure. My psychologist said they wouldn't say 100% if they were not that sure, so it's excellent news. I'm hanging in there. Sadly I went back on my anti-anxiety meds, but I feel a whole lot better and seem less stressed, so that's a great start. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers; they mean a lot. Love you all!

...


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

After dancing on the rooftop through several jazz songs that Noah had on his iPhone, the couple returned to the warmth of the condo and snuggled up together on the couch , "so do you have anything you'd like to do while we're in NYC?" Noah asked.

Rachel thought for a moment, "Finn, Quinn and Carole get here on Sunday, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, from what Quinn told me, she's never been to New York, so I was thinking we could save the tourist things for after they get here. As for what to do before then, I don't think they'd be interested in seeing a musical, and when dad, daddy and I are here, we try to see a show. Maybe our families could go see a musical," she suggested, "if you don't want to, that's alright, it was just an idea."

"It's a good one," Noah admitted, "I've never been to a show before, so it sounds like fun," he pulled out his cell phone and went online, "anything specific you're looking to see?"

"Is there a way to see what's playing in the next few days?" She asked.

Noah pulled up the Broadway website and skimmed through, "well, it looks like there isn't anything on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but there are a few playing on Saturday," he said, "Wicked, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, West Side Story, and The Lion King stand out as ones I've heard of or we've seen the movies of," he said, "well, I've heard of Mamma Mia!, but never watched it."

"Then let's see that. We've already seen the others," she admitted, "and I could go out and get the movie to watch, if you want to know about it before we see the musical," she explained.

"Not by yourself, but I like the idea," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "let's go."

"What?" Her eyes widened and she sat up to look at him, "I thought it wasn't a good idea to go out right now."

"Things are open late and it's getting dark out now so I won't be seen as easily. I can go out without protection, I just don't a lot, that's all," he said, "and grocery shopping isn't fun."

Rachel giggled, but nodded, "if you're sure, then we can go, I just don't want you to get in trouble."

"I won't," he promised standing up and taking her hands, "besides, we gotta live a little, right? I can't hide forever."

"Noah, 'living a little' is eating extra chocolate. It's not putting yourself in danger just because you want to go shopping. It can wait," Rachel told him, standing up.

He pulled her against him, "just stay close, don't say 'Puck', don't wear my jacket and we'll be okay," he promised.

She took a deep breath and sighed, "alright, but why can't I wear your jacket?"

"It says 'Puckerman' on the back. The red and my name will stand out," he admitted, "I'm all for it if we had protection, but since we don't, you might want to wear something else."

"Oh, right, that makes sense," she agreed. "I have other jackets," she told him as they moved towards his room.

Getting ready to go out, Noah left a note that they were and mentioned they wanted to go see 'Mamma Mia!' on Saturday and asked if anyone else wanted to go and if Ethan could try and get them tickets.

Locking up the condo, they headed for the elevator and stepped on when the doors opened, "where are we going?" Rachel asked.

"There's a Best Buy on 5th Avenue that I usually shop at. They'll have it and it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few other movies to watch while we're here," he said.

Rachel nodded, "yes, that might be a good idea. I didn't even think to bring some of my movies along," she admitted, "it could have saved the trip, because I probably would have brought that along."

"I didn't either. I thought we'd be filming the video for a few days, so we wouldn't have had as long to hang around, but I didn't think it would only take a day," he commented as the elevator's doors opened, "and hopefully they'll have the three 'High School Musical' movies that I can get for my sister, since I told her I'd get them for her."

"You're a great brother," Rachel said as they stepped out into the cool evening.

"Thanks, I try to be," he told her as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

Walking onto the main sidewalks of Times Square, they could see it was busy and the glow from the lights lit their path in the darkening sky. "The next few days might be a good time for us to get our homework done so we don't have to do it later," Noah suggested.

"That's a good idea. I'm sure many places close early on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day; not everything, but most major stores are," Rachel replied.

"Yeah. Not everything closes, but major stores do," he said, keeping her close to him so they didn't get separated in the mass of people.

Crossing streets and making it to the Best Buy he was talking about, they stepped inside and relaxed in the warmth of the store, even if it was pretty busy. "What section would that be under?" He asked curiously.

"I'm thinking there should be a section for musicals," she replied, taking his hand and guiding him towards the aisles of movies.

Noah followed her and as they walked down the aisle with the Disney movies, he glanced over them, finding a box set of the three 'High School Musical' movies. "Awesome. They have them. Well, got what I came for," he said with a grin.

"Your sister is going to love you," she smiled.

"I hope so. I'll pick up the soundtracks if I can find them," he added following Rachel down the next aisle. A few movies caught his attention, so he paused to look over them, "babe, wait up," he called out.

Rachel turned back to see him picking up a movie to look at the back of it, "what are you getting?"

"I don't know right now, but I figured we should at least look at some," he said showing her the movie he was looking at.

"I haven't seen this yet," she admitted, looking at the cover of '17 Again' staring Zac Efron, "but do you think it's okay for Arin to watch? It's 'PG-13' rating."

"She's seen it before. We don't let her watch movies that are over 'PG' without one of us around, but this is okay," he promised.

"Okay, let's get it. I just want to make sure the movies we get she can see," she said hanging on to the movie he had handed her and skimmed over the names of the movies nearby, wondering what else to get.

Going up and down the movie aisles, they looked through some and picked up a few more; some they'd seen before, some they hadn't and made their way over to the CDs, picking up the three 'High School Musical' soundtracks for his sister before getting in the long line and Noah read over the back of the 'Mamma Mia!' movie, "isn't she in something that's coming out in a few months?" He asked, pointing to the main character.

"Yes, she is going to be in 'Dear John'. It comes out in February, I believe," Rachel replied, leaning her head on his shoulder as they waited.

"You tired?" He asked curiously.

"A little bit. It's been a long day. I... I didn't sleep well last night," she admitted with a blush.

He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead, "why didn't you say something? We didn't have to go shopping now. We could have waited."

"I know, but I wanted to," she replied, "it's New York!"

The line was moving pretty quick and before he could respond they were walking up to a cashier and setting the movies down on the counter. Noah paid once things were rung up and soon they were outside walking hand-in-hand, down the sidewalk, "we're here for another week and a half, we have plenty of time. What kept you from sleeping?" He asked concerned, picking up the conversation they were having inside.

"It was just uncomfortable and cold," she replied, "usually I am okay when it's cool, but this time, there was no warmth to snuggle against."

He smiled and nodded at a few people who were pointing in his direction along the street, "I promise you tonight there will be."

She let go of his hand so she could slip her arm around his waist as they walked, "I'm looking forward to it."

...

Returning to the condo, their families had been back from shopping for a little bit and Ethan was already working on getting tickets to the show for the seven of them.

Rachel pitched in to help make dinner and after eating and dishes were put away, they all sat down to watch 'Mamma Mia!', since no one had seen it, except Rachel.

Noah laid on the couch and kicked back, and Rachel joined him, snuggling against him as their families found spots to sit in the living room. Ethan set up the DVD and sat down next to Deborah and hit play.

_'Mamma Mia!' the movie, comes from the musical of the same name; using many songs of the 1970s pop group ABBA and a few of the members of the group worked as composers for both (1)._

_The story is set in Greece, on a small island called 'Kalokairi', where a twenty-year-old girl named Sophie, lives with her mom, Donna. Donna owns a villa on the island and Sophie is about to get married to her boyfriend, Sky. Sophie has never known her father, but found her mom's journal from when she was pregnant with her and finds the names of three men who are potential fathers, Sam, Bill and Harry, so she invites all three of them to her wedding, without telling her mom, because she wants to surprise her and is sure that once she sees the men, she will know who her father really is and they can walk her down the aisle (2)._

"Wow," Noah murmured, "this is already good."

Rachel smiled and kissed him, "I knew you'd like it. It's a great movie, just sometimes hard for me to relate to, because I know who my dads are," she commented.

"But you don't know your mother, so it's just switching parents," David told her.

"True, but I wouldn't look for my mother," Rachel replied with a shrug, turning back to continue watching the movie.

_Sophie hides the three men when they arrive on the island and explains that she sent the invitations, not her mom, and begs them to stay hidden until the wedding so Donna can be surprised, at the wedding, to see the men she always reminiscences about. It doesn't take long for their hiding spot to be found by Donna, seeing all of them and sings 'Mamma Mia'. When the guys get a chance to talk to her, she immediately wants them to leave and she then tells Tanya and Rosie that one of them is Sophie's father, but she isn't sure which one, which brings the three women to sing 'Dancing Queen' (2)._

"ABBA does have some good music," Noah commented as 'Dancing Queen' ended.

"Yes they do," David agreed, "music we grew up listening to," he added looking at Alan.

Alan nodded, "you two probably don't remember them," he added looking at Deborah and Ethan.

Ethan laughed, "we were like what, five, six years old when they were popular?" He asked, looking at his wife.

"Something like that," Deborah agreed, giggling lightly.

"Now I feel old," David groaned.

"It was bound to happen sometime," Alan laughed.

_Sophie never told her fiancé of her secret because she didn't want him to talk her out of it and when she tries, she doesn't have the guts to, but in their conversation, they end up singing a duet, 'Lay All Your Love On Me', and he is then taken to his bachelor party (2)._

"I'm not sure I want a bachelor party," Noah commented.

Ethan coughed loudly as he looked over at the two teens while Deborah patted his back with a smirk on her face, "discussing a bachelor party usually comes _after_ an engagement and last time I checked you two weren't engaged, right?"

"Right," Rachel commented, knowing her boyfriend could easily draw out that conversation, but the last thing she wanted was someone getting upset or overprotective on their first night in the city.

"Aw, babe, you took the fun out of that answer," Noah sighed.

Rachel nudged him playfully, "I know. That's why I did that. The last thing I want is anyone going into overprotective mode and I'd like to enjoy the movie," she motioned to the TV.

_The following morning, the day of the wedding, Sophie and Donna's best friends try to separate the men from both Sophie and Donna until the wedding. Donna and Sophie have a discussion where Sophie admits she doesn't want to make her mom's mistakes by never getting married and then storms off. Sam confronts Donna because he is concerned about Sophie getting married so young and they realize they still have feelings for each other. Sophie is completely confused and tells her fiancée everything, but he gets mad and storms off, so as the wedding draws closer, Donna helps Sophie get ready and both are very nervous (2)._

_When the wedding begins, Donna admits to Sophie that her father is there, but she doesn't know who it is, which is when Sophie says she invited them. Sam, Bill and Harry all agree that they did love Donna and would be willing to be one-third Sophie's father. Overwhelmed by everything, Sophie realizes that getting married isn't what she wants right then, so she suggested that she and Sky wait to get married and travel first. Sky thinks it's a great idea because he never wanted a big wedding and then Sam proposes to Donna, so even though Sky and Sophie are not getting married, Donna and Sam do (2)._

_The final scene of the movie, after a huge reception is when Sky and Sophie are saying their final goodbyes to everyone as they sail away from the island (2)._

"Wow, I didn't expect that ending," Noah commented, "I really thought Sky and Sophie would get married."

"At first, I did, too, but I realized that they are using it for a metaphor. They're young, they have all the time in the world, so they don't have to rush into marriage just to be together. Many couples live years together before they get married," Rachel explained.

"Good point, but, I don't know, I guess it depends on the situation. I mean, if you want to be together, then why wait to get married? Sure I hear that after you get married things change, but it doesn't have to," Noah replied, "if the couple wants to be with each other and love each other, then it shouldn't matter the status of their relationship. Sure if she ends up getting pregnant, that's different, but if children aren't something they want right away, there are precautions to keep that from happening until they're ready."

"You do have a valid point. I guess it does depend on their relationship, too. Are you meaning that any couple should get married soon or just ones who want to get married?" She asked curiously.

"Just the ones who want to get married. I mean look at us. We're dating in high school and have expressed that we want to get married when we're out. Think about it... When get out we'll probably end up living here, so you can go to school and I can work, and though we don't have to rush into marriage, I would think getting married within a year or so of getting out would be the best idea because then we have all that time to be young and married before we decide to 'settle down' and have a family. I don't want to bring a kid into all this," he motioned around the condo, "and my sometimes crazy life until I've had more of a chance to enjoy it, but I know who I want to spend the rest of my life with; so why prolong us getting married? I'd just wanna hold off on kids, but still get to spend part of my young adult life with you as my wife," he smiled at her, "I don't want to be one of those couples who are together for like five years, unmarried, and you end up getting pregnant and six months after the baby is born we split because it's too much. If we get married first, have a chance to see if that's what we want, and we decide it's not, we can divorce without putting a child into that life, and I'm not saying we would, because I'm not letting you go for anything, but I'm just trying to explain my point."

Rachel smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips, "I get it," she whispered.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, "good. I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied settling her head against his chest.

The four parents in the room exchanged glances, all in varying stages of confusion, but they still somehow were okay with the conversation. The topic came from the events in the movie, and they knew their children were much more mature than other kids their age; Noah having grown up quickly, experiencing a business that was mostly populated with adults and Rachel being an only child with an independence and determination for what she wanted since she was very young.

Noah and Rachel sat up on the couch and blushed lightly, realizing they had a very deep conversation in front of their parents and sister. "Uh, hi," Noah murmured.

Arin giggled, "I think they need a drink after hearing that," Arin said getting up and moving towards her brother. "Good night. I'm going to bed."

Hugging his sister, Noah nodded, "night sis."

Once Arin had said 'goodnight' to everyone else, Deborah went with her to help unpack and get ready for bed, "that was an interesting conversation," David commented.

"Daddy, don't look into it so much. We were just having a discussion," Rachel told him.

"I know, but it's a little shocking to listen to you two talk about getting married; not that I'm opposed to the idea, but it's just..." David trailed off and looked at Alan for help.

Alan nodded and rubbed his husband's back, "you're our little girl and we're having a hard time seeing you grow up. We knew this day would happen; you've always been more mature than kids your age, but being faced with a discussion like this makes us realize you are growing up quicker than we thought."

"Oh, dad, daddy," Rachel got up and moved to the other couch where they were sitting and squished down between them, "I'll always be your little girl," she assured them, slipping her arms around their backs, "but I am growing up, and someday I will get married, and you'll give me away, but right now, we're just having a conversation; no proposals, no plans for us walking down the aisle tomorrow, but someday," she said, kissing each of their cheeks.

"We know sweetheart," David smiled at her and then looked at Noah, "and if Noah turns out to be the one, your dad and I will gladly walk you down the aisle to him," he finished turning back to his daughter to hug her.

Noah blushed lightly at David's comment, but smiled happily, "thank you, David, Alan. That really means a lot to hear."

Alan smirked, "Noah, you're family already, but that would make it official."

Rachel got up and moved over to her boyfriend again, sitting down and hugging him, "maybe one day we will," she murmured.

Noah kissed her gently, "maybe," he agreed.

...

The following two days were Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the two families took the time to relax and enjoy their break. They all agreed they'd save sight seeing for when Carole, Finn and Quinn arrived, and Noah and Rachel did their homework, so it was done, but they kept getting sidetracked watching movies and TV. Even though they didn't celebrate Christmas, Rachel always loved to watch the Christmas movies on TV; usually they had a great storyline and a happy ending.

On Christmas Day, Ethan and Alan, though not born Jewish, do honor those traditions, so their family's Christmas traditions are not celebrated, but they, along with their families contacted their relatives in Ohio and other parts of the states to pass on Christmas wishes.

As the day came to a close, Rachel and Noah were in their room, she was sitting at his desk and he was on his bed; both were working on homework and as Rachel finished her math homework and closed the book, she turned around, "may I have your science book?" She asked.

Noah looked up from his own math book, "uh, I didn't bring it."

"What?" She gasped, jumping up and moving towards him, now seeing he was working on his math, too. "You said you were going to bring your science book and I would bring my math book. We were going to share since we have the same classes."

"No, you suggested I bring my math book and you would bring your science book because it was lighter than our math book, since you also had to bring your history and Spanish books along, too," Noah said.

She shook her head, "no, I specifically remember saying I'd bring my math book, if you'd bring your science book."

"Well, that's not what I heard," Noah stated, "I brought my math and Spanish books because the only other homework I have is a research paper due at the end of January," he commented.

Rachel gasped, pacing back and forth, "Noah! Now what are we going to do? You were supposed to bring your science book and I was bringing my math book so we could share; not the other way around and now neither of us have our science book! We have two chapters to read, questions to answer and almost thirty words to get definitions for to turn in the first day back!"

"Whoa, chill the fuck out, it's just a book," Noah's eyes widened at her outburst.

"Excuse me? How can you just say that? Noah, our test is the Friday after we get back! That work is all of our grade for those two chapters aside from the test! We need to study!" She began taking deep breaths as she paced, trying to figure out what to do, "and then you just say 'chill out'... We can't!"

"Yes we can," Noah commented, marking his math book so he didn't forget where he was and set it aside, standing up and moving towards her, putting his hands on her shoulders to stop her from pacing, "we'll figure it out. Stop or you're going to have a panic attack."

Rachel glared at him, "I can't believe you're so calm about this!"

"We'll figure it out," he said again, "just relax. Breathe in and out."

Taking his hint, she did take a few deep breaths and exhaled, then her eyes widened when she got a great idea, or so she thought, "I know!" She moved from him to her laptop and sat it down on his desk, "we passed a bookstore on the way to Best Buy the other day. I can go online and look up the book we have for school, then get the serial number and we can go to the store tomorrow when it opens and have them order it for us and it should be here in a few days," she explained, already pulling up Google.

Noah stared at her for a moment and laughed lightly as he sat on the end of the bed, "or I could call Finn and ask him to go get my book from my desk at home and bring it with him when he, Carole and Quinn come on Sunday," he suggested.

Rachel stopped her typing and looked at him, contemplating his idea, "oh, yes, well that could work." She saw his 'no, it's a great idea!' look and sighed, "yes, you're right. It's a better idea than mine is."

"I'll call Finn right now," he reached for his phone, "and for the record, I do care about my work, I just know that having a panic attack isn't going to solve the problem. You just have to stay calm and work it out," he said before leaving the room to go call Finn.

As he left the room, Rachel immediately felt horrible for snapping at him and making it sound like he didn't care; she knew better, but she still sometimes has panic attacks over little things that she shouldn't be so concerned about. She knew her book was at home, so if she couldn't do it while they were in New York, she'd have time when they got home before school started to get the work done.

Noah went out into the kitchen to call Finn, who was just getting home from a family Christmas dinner with his grandparents. They didn't talk long, since it was getting late and he had a lot to do the next day, but Finn promised to stop by the Puckerman's to get Noah's book for them. Hanging up his phone, Noah grabbed a bottle of water for him and Rachel and returned to his room surprised at what he saw. Rachel had cleaned his things off the bed and set them on his dresser, she had pulled the blankets back and was curled up in bed in one of his t-shirts and a pair of boyshorts, "um, babe?"

Rachel sat up on the bed, "I'm sorry," she started, "I should never have snapped like that."

He shrugged, "it's okay, I get why you did it-"

"No, it's no excuse. It was a misunderstanding and an accident. I should have remained level headed and not jumped to conclusions or panic without thinking things through," she explained crawling over to the edge of the bed. Sitting back on her heels, she tugged her hair from the bun it was in, "I was hoping to make it up to you."

Noah's heart skipped a beat, seeing her bare legs and what got him was the black v-neck t-shirt of his she had on; so much bigger than her that the 'v' came down to her chest showing off pink lace, "um," he gulped, "how?"

She reached out and took the bottles of water and his cell phone from him, setting them on his night stand before wrapping her arms around his neck when he got closer to her, "how about second base?" She whispered in his ear.

...

'Second base' was a huge step for them. Noah never touched her in intimate places; he did want to, but respected her enough to let her be the one to bring it up; he never wanted to force her into anything, so for her to offer the chance to take a step, he gladly accepted and after an intense make-out session, she was left in her shorts and pink lace bra and he'd stripped down to his boxers and both were snuggled together under the covers, taking deep breaths to recover.

"You do know that all you had to do was say 'I'm sorry'; you didn't have to do this," Noah murmured, letting his hand brush over her shoulder and arm.

Rachel sat up a little and nodded, "I know," she reached out, letting her hands trail patterns over his bare chest, "I've wanted to take another step in our relationship and I was going to talk to you about it tonight, but our discussion changed and I thought I'd surprise you."

Noah shifted to sit up, staring at the pink lace bra she had on, "and what an amazing surprise it was, but I just want you to know that this wasn't necessary to talk me into accepting your apology. I respect you and never want to do something to you that you're not ready for, so I'm letting you come to me when you're ready. Intimate acts like this is your call and don't need to be used as a way to make-up for other things. We had a misunderstanding. You're allowed to be upset and we worked it out," he added pulling her into his lap as he reached for the t-shirt she'd had on, "and as much as I'd love to stare at you all day like that, I don't think we want our parents or Arin finding us like this," he said sadly.

"Yes, you're right," she agreed letting him hold it up for her as she slipped her arms into it, "and thank you, Noah. You always have been a gentleman and I feel safe with you."

He pulled her hair out from under the shirt and smiled, "good. I hope that never changes. I always want you to feel safe with me," he told her, running his hand through her brunette locks.

"Was I... I don't know what I'm doing... Is that really second base?" She asked, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"I don't know what I'm doing either," he replied truthfully, sitting in the middle of their bed, her in his lap, looking at him, "I believe that is what is referred to as 'second base'," he said kissing her gently as he let his hand trail up her stomach to rest between her breasts, "you were amazing and beautiful, don't be embarrassed."

Relaxing against his chest she nodded, "thank you, Noah," she kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you, too, babe."

...

The teens slept amazingly that night, but when Rachel woke up the following morning, she was caught off guard by her boyfriend; everything from his suitcases, carry-on and toiletries bag was scattered across the bed, the floor, the dressers and any other flat surface in the room, "damn it! I fucked up big time! I can't believe I forgot to put those in my luggage!" He exclaimed as he kept digging through clothes and other items.

Sitting up to look at him, Rachel raised a curious eyebrow, "Noah? What's wrong?" She asked softly.

Noah jumped a little when he heard her voice and turned around, "oh, sorry baby, did I wake you?" He asked, looking at her and rubbing his forehead.

"Um, not really, but when I woke up I heard you," she then saw his eyes and noticed how red they looked, "what's wrong?"

He sighed and moved towards her, plopping down on the bed, "I left my contacts in overnight," he said rubbing his dry eyes.

"You wear contacts?" Rachel's eyes widened, feeling horrible for not knowing.

Noah nodded, "yeah, it's not a big deal. I'm not nearsighted or farsighted, but my eyes don't focus together completely, so when I read, do something on the computer or play video games I get headaches without them from eye strain. I always wear contacts, and I have disposable ones so I just throw them away once I've worn them, but last night I got sidetracked, so I didn't go to the bathroom like I normally do before bed to take care of them," he explained.

"Oh Noah, I'm so sorry; it's all my fault-"

"Don't blame yourself, babe, this isn't the first time I've done this," he admitted, "and it won't be the last," he laughed lightly, leaning forward to kiss her, "none of this is your fault," he assured her, brushing a hand along her cheek, "I promise."

She smiled, "okay, I get it," she replied, "but... How come I didn't know you wore contacts?" She asked, "I mean... Shouldn't I have noticed?"

"Not really," he shook his head, "they are clear, so unless you see me take them out or put them in you wouldn't know. It's not a secret, I just never told you because I'm so used to doing it that it's just natural and I don't think to say something to someone I meet, but I'm going to have to," he glanced back at the mess he'd made, "because I forgot to pack my contacts."

Rachel's eyes widened, "what?"

"My contacts are made to be worn for a whole week, even to sleep in, but I don't like doing that because they still dry my eyes out. I take them out every night and it gives me about two weeks I can wear a pair before I throw them away. Since I slept in them last night, which I'm not used to doing, my eyes are red, dry and itchy, so I took them out and threw them away because I was going to rinse my eyes out and change them, but when I went to get my stuff, I realized I had my drops and the contact solution, but not the box with my contacts in them. I put new ones in the morning before we left, so I'd be good for the trip, but the box never got from my bathroom sink to my bag before we left, so I'll have to wear my glasses from now until we get home," he explained.

"Oh, Noah," Rachel leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, "that's terrible that you forgot them, but you do have your glasses, right?"

He nodded and hugged her back before getting up and moving to his desk and picked up the black glass case and returned to the bed, sitting facing her as he opened up the case and revealed the black frames. He picked them up and slid them on, looking at her to see what she thought, "how bad do I look?"

She shook her head and leaned forward, kissing him lovingly, "I think you look very handsome," she said truthfully, then moved to whisper in his ear, "and very sexy."

He groaned lightly as he held her against him, "you really think so?"

"yes, I do," she nodded lifting the frames off his face briefly to look at him and then put them back on, "you're very sexy and handsome already, but these add just another level of sexy and handsome to you. In a way, now you're like Superman. Clark Kent always wore glasses, but Superman never did, so Puck is like Superman and Noah is Clark," she explained.

"I'm Clark Kent and Superman, will you be my Lois Lane?" He asked hopeful, but he knew the answer.

"I'd love to be," she replied, kissing him. "Couldn't you have Finn stop by your house and get your contacts?"

He smirked, "yes, I could, but my eyes will still be like this for a few days, so it'll just be easier to wear my glasses for the week and by the time I get home my eyes will be fine and I can go back to contacts... Besides, hearing you think I'm sexy with them on, I might wear my glasses more often," he winked at her.

She smiled and tugged him back to bed, "come back to bed for a bit."

"Love to," he told her, crawling over her and joined her under the blankets for a little longer before they had to get up for the day.

...

Everyone was surprised to see Noah in glasses, but they all agreed that the glasses made him look older.

The rest of the morning was spent much like the last few days had been, doing homework and relaxing, but by noon they, along with their families were having lunch and getting ready to go to the show.

'Mamma Mia!' the movie, was a lot like the musical on Broadway, yet the stage performance did have a few more songs that wasn't in the movie, and to Noah, the movie seemed more realistic because for stage, there was more imagination needed to tell the story, where as in the movie, the locations came to life.

They had walked to the theater, so when the show ended just after six, the two families went to a nice restaurant between the condo and the theater, and after dinner, they walked back to the condo and turned in early, wanting to get up and have some time in the morning before Finn, Quinn and Carole arrived.

...

As Sunday's sun showed itself that morning, the cloudless sky was bright blue, even if it had a crisp air to it with the cold temperatures of late-December, but inside the condo, everyone was comfortably warm.

Doing laundry, making beds and cleaning, the time slowly got closer to Finn, Quinn and Carole's arrival. They decided with holiday travel that it wouldn't be safe for Noah to go, so Rachel and Deborah left just after noon in the limo and went to meet their friends at the airport.

"I feel so..." Rachel looked around the spacious sitting area of the limo, "I don't know... Important? I still don't think it has hit me that this is all because of Noah... He's... He's a normal person to me."

Deborah smiled, "that's a good thing. I know he loves you for that, and Ethan and I do, too. I'm really happy that he found someone who accepts him for who he is and doesn't see him as some celebrity," she paused glancing to see they were close to the airport, "I heard part of your conversation the night we watched 'Mamma Mia!'," she said.

Rachel thought back to the discussion and nodded, "okay. What part?"

"The part where your dads see Noah as part of your family and you two getting married would make it official," Deborah smiled.

"Oh, that," Rachel blushed.

"I hope you know that you are part of our family, too," Deborah smiled, "and I already see you as a daughter, so having you two get married would be amazing."

"Thank you. That really means a lot to hear," Rachel smiled looking at her.

"If you ever want to talk and don't feel comfortable talking to your dads, you're welcome to come to me about anything," Deborah told her.

Rachel looked at the woman sitting by her and smiled brightly, "thank you. I appreciate the offer and I will. I trust you and in the few months knowing you, I feel more comfortable talking to you than I have with any other woman I've ever known, so that means something, mom... Uh, can I call you that?"

"Of course you can, if you'd like," Deborah nodded, "and yes it does mean something."

Deborah slid closer to Rachel and gave her a quick hug as the limo came to a stop outside the pick-up area for the airport.

When the driver opened the door, the two slid out and walked inside to wait for the three and headed for the TV screens that were listing the flights and checked on the one from Columbus, "looks like they just landed. Perfect timing," Deborah said.

Rachel nodded and looked around; she'd been to New York before, so the airport was familiar with her and the two moved towards their flight's baggage claim and it didn't take long for Finn to appear; towering over everyone else, "I see Finn," Rachel said, motioning in his direction.

Rachel and Deborah walked towards them and Rachel grinned, "welcome to New York!"

"Hey Rachel," Finn said moving to give her a hug first, as Carole and Deborah greeted each other with hugs.

"Hello Finn, Quinn," Rachel pulled from Finn's hug and moved to Quinn, giving the Cheerio a quick hug.

"Hi, Rachel," Quinn smiled, "I saw some of the city from the air and it's huge!"

Rachel nodded, "yes, it is," she agreed, "oh, I have so much to tell you about the last few days! And we're going to have to much fun! We saved a lot of the sight-seeing until you three arrived because we want to show you around town, Quinn," Rachel explained.

Quinn nodded, "thanks. I'm really looking forward to this trip. Thanks for inviting me," she said looking at Deborah and Rachel.

Deborah smiled, "you're welcome, Quinn. We're happy to have you. Let's get your luggage and we'll head back to the condo and you guys can relax," she added, noticing the luggage began to fill the conveyor belts.

Collecting their bags once they saw them, they went out to the loading area where the limo was waiting and Quinn reacted much like Rachel had when she first saw it. Rachel giggled lightly and moved to Quinn, slipping her arm around her shoulders, "I had the same reaction. You're in Puck's world now."

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right, but wow," Quinn blushed, "Finn warned me, but I guess it didn't click," she admitted moving into the limo while Finn and the driver put their bags in the trunk.

Once Finn slid into the limo, the driver closed the door and soon they were off to the big city, amazing Quinn with the sights she'd never seen before.

...

Arriving at the condo, they gathered their bags. Deborah paid and tipped the driver and the group piled into the elevator and headed up to their floor, "I'm not sure if anyone has spoken to you about the sleeping arrangements, but we have a room with two beds in it; usually Finn and Carole use that room, Quinn, so you're welcome to sleep in Finn's bed, or if that is uncomfortable for you, Arin has another bed in her room you're welcome to use," Deborah said.

Quinn nodded, "thank you for the offer. Finn and I discussed it and I'll be alright with staying in his bed; I trust him," she smiled.

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure," Deborah smiled in reply as the elevator stopped on their floor and the doors opened. Heading for their door, Deborah pushed it open and could hear the TV, "we're back!" She called out.

"Hey everyone, welcome to New York!" Noah greeted them as he walked out of the kitchen and over towards them.

"You wear glasses?" Quinn blurted out, seeing him in glasses for the first time ever; not counting sunglasses.

Noah laughed, but nodded, explaining his mistake, "and I know I could have had you pick them up at the house, but I have my glasses, so I'm good for now," Noah explained.

"Oh yeah, speaking of picking stuff up," Finn said, pulling open his carry-on and digging out their science book, "I figured I should probably pack it in my carry-on just in case our luggage got lost."

Rachel took the book since she was closer to Finn, "thank you for getting it, Finn," she said.

"Welcome," he smirked, having heard the whole story from his brother.

"Yeah, thanks man," Noah replied slipping his arm around Rachel's shoulder.

...

Once their friends had an opportunity to put their things in their room and Noah and Finn gave Quinn a quick tour of the condo, they realized they had time before it got dark, so the four teens dressed warmly and headed out to the streets of New York City. They caught a cab to Central Park and wondered around the southern area of the park where there was a man-made pond and many things to see, taking in most of the view from the Gapstow Bridge, over the pond (3).

"This is absolutely amazing," Quinn admitted, pausing a moment with her camera to really take in the view they had. "I know I keep saying this, but I really appreciate you inviting me. I know we've had our, um, issues in the past, but it really means a lot to spend this time in New York with Finn and you guys," she said looking at Noah and Rachel.

Noah nodded, "you're welcome, Quinn, and we're happy to have you. You're my brother's girlfriend and we're all friends and this," he motioned around to where they were, "is a great place for us to hang out; there is so much to see and do," he explained.

Quinn smiled, "you're right, there is," she agreed.

...

References:

1. ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ Mamma_Mia! ) (remove spaces)

2. ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ Mamma_Mia!_The_Movie ) (remove spaces)

3. ( centralparknyc . org/ visit/ things-to-see/ south-end/ pond . html ) (remove spaces)

...

A/N4: Noah's eye problem is the same thing I have wrong with my eyes. The type of glasses I had to wear (I don't wear them any more because with the glasses, over time the problem corrected itself), I couldn't wear them in contacts, but this is fiction, so anything is possible. I also looked up some information on contacts and you can get disposable ones that you can wear for a week straight and even sleep in or you can wear them during the day and take them out at night and they last about two weeks, so I went with something kinda in the middle. (Don't laugh, lol, but I made a quick manip of Mark with the glasses I want Noah to have. It's not the best, but you can see it here: ( pics . livejournal . com / sapphiresfic / pic / 0001tfh6 / ) (remove spaces))

A/N5: I hope you enjoyed. I'm sooooo sorry it's been almost three weeks since I updated last. I feel really bad. I've just been so busy and working on other fics I have going that time just got away from me. I'm only updating 'Starlight' right now and hopefully in a few days I'll have 'Out of the Blue' ready. I promise I didn't forget you.

A/N6: I've been watching the Glee episodes, even though the Finn/Rachel scenes makes me gag, but tonight's episode 'Never Been Kissed' was really good. I so knew that about Karofsky! I never said anything because I figured people would think I'm crazy, but I'm so glad I was right! I'm happy that Puck is back; that whole storyline is BS and I felt bad for him when he was in Figgins' office with Will and his probation officer, but I hope things work out so we can have Puckleberry in season 3. Puck/Rachel and Mark/Lea need to make beautiful babies together and Puck and Rachel NEED SCENES TOGETHER and Mark/Lea need to be PHOTOGRAPED TOGETHER! Okay, lol, enough Glee rants from EJ, lol. Mark's album 'Pipe Dreams' is AMAZING and there will be a few songs of his featured here in 'Starlight' and also in 'Out of the Blue'.

A/N7: I'm on Twitter as EJ8302. When I go to Seattle I tweet the SCCA and also post pictures of places I go, so add me and let me know you're following me so I can add you to my 'reader' list and it's also a way for you to write me. I sometimes tweet about fics or well real life, so add me!

A/N8: I'm thinking about setting up my own website; mostly to post my fics on: an archive that works if LJ or FF is down (which seems to happen about once a month). I'd still post them here, too, but I'd love to have my own website, but I'll only start one up if people would be interested in checking it out. Let me know what you think.

**Note about my mom:** October 29th, mom finished her last external radiation locally and on the 5th of November we went to Seattle for her first internal radiation treatment. It's a long process; the first day longer than normal, about 5 hours, so while she was at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), I drove out to Ballard 'Ethan's Town' and went to the locks, Golden Gardens and did some stuff I wanted to do; giving me a chance to relax; sight-seeing and driving relax me, so I had fun even if it was overcast and kind of raining. She had her next appointment on the 8th and it wasn't as long, but I still had about three hours, so I got some neat pictures of the Space Needle and went back out to the Golden Gardens in Ballard and got some awesome pictures. She's been feeling ill, still like she was before, but after Friday it was bad; enough that her doctor on Monday (the 8th) told her they didn't have to go through with the treatment if she didn't feel up for it, but she did go through with it. She's on some new meds to help settle her stomach and is feeling better. Her doctor is still looking at a 100% recovery and her tumor is an eight of the size it was when they started, so it's almost gone! That is amazing news! I'm doing alright. I am writing (I have two more Puckleberry fics in the works to post soon) and with work and taking care of errands for mom, I'm keeping busy. Your comments, prayers, thoughts, everything, mean so much to us! I am really sorry that it's been so long since I last posted, but I hope that will change, soon... When you guys see teal, think of us; that's the color for cervical cancer and January is cervical cancer awareness month, so I'm trying to come up with ways to celebrate; the SCCA wants to know. Do you have any? Hugs to all! Thank you and love you!

...


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

**Monday, December 28, 2009**

After a relaxing night, the large group of family and friends were out of the condo by ten, heading to their first stop of the day: the Empire State Building. Spending some time walking around the observation deck, Quinn, along with everyone else got an opportunity to enjoy the view and take pictures of the city, as well as get some with their families or friends.

Noah had dressed like he normally did, but with no mohawk and glasses on, he wasn't as recognizable and for almost forty-five minutes no one did, but as they made their way around the observation deck, now facing the direction of the Statue of Liberty, Noah noticed two teen girls with their parents, and the girls were looking at each other and then motioning towards where he, Finn, Rachel and Quinn were standing. They saw him looking at them, and he smiled, nodding politely, but didn't make a move towards them; wanting them to be the ones to come over, so he continued to check out the view, while Quinn and Rachel stood together, pointing out things and taking pictures.

"There are some girls walking over here," Rachel told him softly as she stood beside him.

"Really?" He glanced towards where they had been and was surprised to see them and their parents walking over.

Both girls were brunette, looking to be their age or just slightly younger and the shorter one smiled and spoke first, "um, excuse me," she said.

Noah turned around and so did the others, "hey," he smiled at them, "how can we help you?" He asked casually.

The other girl, obviously her sister, but taller, blushed, "um, sorry to bother you, but we couldn't help notice you look an awful lot like Noah Puckerman and then we saw Finn and realized it was you, so um, it's obvious you're here with your friends, family and girlfriend, but do you think we could get a picture with you and maybe an autograph?" She asked hopeful.

"Of course," Noah smiled, "and you're not bothering us. We don't mind," he added. The girls stepped forward and handed him two different Empire State Building postcards to sign and he pulled out a black permanent marker from his pocket and looked at them, "what are your names?" He asked, "and what one am I singing for each of you?" He asked curiously.

"I'm Ziva," the taller one said, motioning to the post card she wanted him to sign for her.

"And I'm Riva," the other replied.

He blinked and looked at them, "do you know those are both Hebrew names?"

"There's a reason why I said you looked like Noah Puckerman, not 'Puck'. We're Jewish," Ziva smiled, "so we would rather call you by your Hebrew name."

"We think it's really awesome to know you're Jewish. It's not often we find that," Riva said.

Noah nodded, "do you read Hebrew?"

"Yes we do," Ziva responded.

He smiled and put the tip of the pen to the card and started writing, "_Shalom, Riva! (In Hebrew): It's was nice to meet you! Happy New Year! (In English): Thanks for the love and support!_" and on the other card he wrote, "Shalom, _Ziva, (In Hebrew): Thank you for the love and support! (In English): It was nice to meet you! Happy New Year!_" and on both he signed them Puck, along with 'Noah Aaron' in both English and Hebrew and handed them back to the girls. "That's gonna be a one of a kind autograph from me, but sorry I wasn't too original with what I said," he admitted.

"It's perfect!" Ziva smiled.

"Thank you!" Riva replied with a bright grin.

"(In Hebrew) You're welcome, ladies," he smiled.

He gave both of the girls a hug and he stood between them for a picture and then Ziva looked at Noah, "do you think your friends would mind being in one?"

"I don't know, but we could ask," Noah replied, looking at them, "you guys wanna get in here?"

"Um, sure, if you guys want us in there," Rachel said, getting a nod from Finn and Quinn.

"We'd love to have you," Riva admitted.

Noah introduced the three to the girls and once Rachel and Quinn had handed their camera's to the girls' mom, they took their spots. The sisters were standing in the middle between Finn and Noah and their girlfriends were at their side. Their mom got a few shots with each camera she had and the sisters switched places, so both could have a shot next to Finn and Noah and as they parted Riva hugged Noah again, "thank you, Noah."

"You're welcome," he replied, hugging her and then Ziva, "are you visiting here or are you from here?"

"Visiting from Orlando," Riva admitted.

"That's cool," Noah smiled. "It's been a while since I was there last and I've never had much time to explore," he told them.

"_...lo que soy, es real. Soy exactamente la que debo ser hoy. Deja que la luz, brille en mí..._" (Translation below).

"Oh, sorry, I gotta take this," Noah said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and stepping aside from the large group standing around talking, now the girls, their parents and everyone with them.

Rachel watched her boyfriend from where she was, standing next to her dads, and she tried to keep talking to the others, being social, but the ringtone really hit her. She had immediately recognized it and seeing him talk and pace around away from them, she began to get jealous of whoever he was talking to and planned to find out who it was and why he was acting as if he was their best friend, while his best friend and girlfriend was there in person. "_You can't say anything now,_" she thought, "_just bite your tongue until you get back to the condo,_" she finished as he rejoined them, slipping his arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek, totally oblivious to how she was feeling.

Ziva, Riva and their parents spoke with everyone for a few moments longer, but had to get going, so they all said 'goodbye' and the girls thanked Noah again for the autographs and pictures before they left. They'd found out that Ziva was a Sophomore like Rachel, Riva was a Freshman, and Ziva wanted to keep in touch with Rachel, so she gave her email address to her. Rachel promised she'd try and email soon, once the girl assured Rachel she would not give out her email address and as they left, Rachel slid the paper into her bag.

Finishing up on the observation deck they got their fill of pictures and went back downstairs and after looking around a bit and picking up some postcards and some small gifts, they stopped at Chipotle, a Mexican burrito shop outside the building, for lunch.

Over their meal, Noah noticed that Rachel's answers to his questions seemed short or not Rachel-like, but she was also having conversations with everyone, so he didn't think too much of it.

A limo picked them up and drove them over to Rockefeller Center, where they were going to ice skate for a while before spending the rest of the day shopping and as they arrived at the center, they made their way over to the rink and stood in line to get tickets. Deborah, Carole and Alan passed on the skating adventure, which left David, Ethan and the kids to go on in.

Staring at his girlfriend, Noah was starting to wondering what was going on; she kept finding a reason to stand with Quinn, and at first he thought it was to talk to her, but when he realized that half the time she and Quinn didn't talk, he began to realize she must be mad at him, but he had no clue why.

By the time he got his skates on, Rachel and Quinn were already out on the ice, so he and Finn followed them into the mass of people already on the ice. They weren't too far ahead, so the guys easily skated through the people until they were next to them and Noah took Rachel's hand and laced his finger's with hers, "hey babe," he said.

"Hello," she said simply, letting go of his hand to continue skating.

Noah tried again, but this time, he guided her towards the center of the rink where there were less people and looked at her, "you're pissed at me."

"Congratulations, Noah, you figured it out," she snapped, glancing around at the people there, wondering how many recognized him.

"What the hell did I do?" He asked quickly, keeping his voice low.

Rachel rubbed her forehead and sighed, "I don't want to talk about it here," she motioned around the rink.

"I don't care who's around, Rachel, I want to know why you're pissed at me, so I can fix it," he told her honestly, staring at her and trying to figure out what was going on in her head.

"You don't even know?" She shook her head, blinking away the tears, but the hurt in her eyes was still there, "I can't talk about this now; not here, especially because you claim to not know, yet you know damn well why I'm mad," she snapped, taking a deep breath and skating off towards where Finn and Quinn were skating.

Seeing his friend's confused face, Finn left the girls and skated towards Noah, "dude, what was that about?"

"I don't know," Noah admitted, "sometime between getting up this morning and now I've pissed her off and she won't talk about it because we're in public." Finn raised a confused eyebrow at him, "see, exactly! Neither of us know what she's pissed about and as far as I know, I didn't _do_ anything," he sighed in frustration.

"Did you look at another girl? Quinn usually gets pissed when I do that," Finn suggested as he and Noah started skating with the crowd again.

"No, I didn't. At least I don't think I did, but she's never had issues before; she would have said something if it did bother her," Noah shook his head, replaying the entire day thus far over in his head.

"Sometimes I don't get chicks. I mean, we can tell them we love them until we're blue in the face, yet the second we look at another girl, they immediately think we're cheating on them or want to break-up, why?" Finn asked.

"That's why I'm glad I'm gay," David commented with a grin from behind them, "women are too emotional sometimes and that's a medically proven fact," he added.

"That still doesn't explain why Rachel's pissed at me," Noah commented looking at David.

David nodded, "just give her some time to cool off. I'm sure she's concerned about discussing whatever is wrong in public."

Noah nodded, agreeing with what he said, "_a big draw back to being famous,_" he thought with a sigh.

...

"Alright, what's wrong?" Quinn asked, looking across the rink to see her boyfriend and Rachel's skating with his sister and their dads, "usually you and Noah are all 'sickening sweet'; not my words, but I do agree," she laughed lightly, "and now you're not even speaking to him and this is a pretty romantic spot to be in for you two to not be all over each other."

Rachel blushed, but sighed, "I just... I know it's probably nothing and you're going to think it's funny, but it's the ringtone he had for whoever called him while we were at the Empire State Building."

"A ringtone? You're upset over a ringtone? Okay, wow, I thought it was because of the fans, but I was wrong," she admitted.

"I know it sounds stupid, but it's our song, or at least to me it is," she told the girl.

"You have a song in Spanish?"

"The English version. It's a duet and I was singing the female part and he heard me singing it and sang the male part the day we officially got together," Rachel explained, "and it just hurt to know he's got any version of that song as a ringtone for someone else and he was acting all happy and friendly with whoever it was."

"So talk to him about it," Quinn told her, "if you're upset about it, you need to talk to him about it. That way he won't look as much like a lost puppy," she noted, seeing how down Noah looked.

"I know I need to talk to him, but I can't... Not here," she motioned around, "it's too public. The last thing I want is tomorrow's headlines to be 'Puck and girlfriend have heated argument on the ice... Has their relationship melted?' Or something like that," Rachel commented with a sigh.

"You do have a point," Quinn agreed, "but wouldn't it be even more suspicious if you two are on the ice and are not seen together? I mean... You're an actress, act like nothing is wrong and tonight when we're back at the condo you can tear into him. Just let me know so I can get some popcorn ready to watch the show," she winked at her.

Rachel's mouth fell open in shock at the suggestion, but as the wheels turned in her head, she realized what Quinn said would be better, "you're right," she said grabbing Quinn's wrist and guiding her into the center of the ice and then towards the rest of their group.

Noah saw Rachel and Quinn coming towards them and as much as he wanted to get excited, he was actually getting pissed at her, so he turned to Finn and his dad, "I'm not in the mood for this. I'm going to go find mom," he said skating off before the girls could reach them.

"Well, look at there. I think you pissed him off," Quinn commented, "sorry."

They joined the others, "yeah, well, the way I was acting I don't blame him," Rachel admitted softly.

David put his arm around Rachel's shoulders, "maybe you should go talk to him. What is wrong, anyway?"

"Quinn can tell you," she replied, skating off towards the way Noah had gone.

Getting off the ice, she saw him already heading towards the exit, so she took her skates off, returned them and once she was back in her own shoes, she took off towards where he had gone and when she was headed in the direction of where their parents were going to be, she saw him walking in the same direction, "Aaron!" She called out, hoping he'd hear his middle name and realize she was calling him.

Noah heard the familiar voice shouting his middle name and he stopped, turning around and saw her speed walking towards him, "now you wanna talk?" He snapped, staring at her with a hurt, confused and upset look on his face.

"I deserved that," Rachel admitted, stepping him to him, "but stop acting like this."

"So, it's okay for you to be pissed about something, when I have no clue what that something is, but it's not okay for me to be upset that you're mad at me for something and won't talk to me about it?" He bit out, trying not to raise his voice.

"Let me explain," Rachel begged, taking his hands in hers and squeezing them, "please."

The contact of their cold hands warmed both of them the longer the held on, "start talking."

"Here?" Her eyes widened at all the people passing by.

Seeing why she was worried, he agreed and guided her to an empty bench nearby in a less busy section and looked at her, "here."

Taking a deep breath, Rachel scooted closer to him and blushed, "I got jealous," she said softly.

He narrowed his eyes at her, "of what? The fans?"

"Um, no. I know you enjoy meeting your fans and I would never get jealous, overprotective, maybe, if they were getting too close, but no... It... It happened while we were talking to them, though," she said, hoping that maybe that would jog his memory.

"Aside from getting pictures with them, and talking to them, the only other thing was I got a call from..." His eyes widened and dug his phone out, scrolling through the menus until he found what he was looking for and he played the ringtone that had played when he got the call, "you recognized it didn't you?"

She bit her lip and nodded, "and you were acting all happy and friendly to whoever it was and that's... To you, it maybe isn't, but to me, it's kind of our song."

Noah wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him, "oh baby," he kissed her cheek and then her forehead before pressing a kiss to her lips, "it is our song," he assured her, "but Demi sings it," he showed her his recent calls and on the top of the list was 'Demi Lovato', "I promise you, I was only being nice to her. She was just calling to let me know she and Joe should be here in a few hours," he explained, looking at her, "that's it, nothing more. She's just a friend."

At his words, Rachel immediately felt embarrassed for the feelings she had been having, "Noah, I'm so sorry, but the song just got me and I... I didn't know who it was and the way you were acting, I started getting jealous and was thinking so many things..."

He held her against him and kissed her again, "you've got nothing to worry about," he told her truthfully, "and I would have answered around you guys, but I didn't want the fans to know who was calling," he added, looking up to see Finn with a 'well?' look, so he gave him a thumbs up and went back to focusing on his girlfriend.

"I shouldn't have gotten jealous. I trust you," she murmured, "I'm sorry."

"It's good to know you trust me, but you need to talk to me about things like that. I don't care if we're in public. Couples have discussions walking down the street or something all the time. Don't give me the cold shoulder," he told her, "that sucked."

Rachel ducked her head and nodded, "I shouldn't have done that," she admitted, "I'm sorry," she looked up at him, "forgive me?"

He kept quiet for a long moment, drawing out her torment, but at the sad look on her face he smiled, "of course I forgive you, as long as you promise you won't do that again."

"I promise," she smiled and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close, "I love you and I am sorry."

"I know you are," he replied, "and I love you, too," he shifted and stood up, holding out his hands for her, "come on, looks like everyone is done skating."

"Wait a second," she stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him lovingly.

Noah wrapped his arms around her and continued the kiss, but hearing a few catcalls and whistles from people, not only his family, he pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers, "hey," he smiled.

"Hi," she returned his smile, "now we can go."

Once the two have that had an opportunity to talk, they were both able to enjoy the rest of their day, shopping in Rockefeller Center and then dinner out, not worrying about what the other was thinking.

...

**Tuesday, December 29, 2009**

"I don't know what to wear!" Rachel exclaimed dashing from his closet where she'd hung some things up, to her suit case and to the dresser she was using.

"The view is pretty awesome this way," Noah commented, kicked back on the bed, watching her running around with only her undergarments on. "You don't need to impress anyone, babe. Just be yourself and comfortable; we're going to be sitting around a lot."

Rachel stopped her search and stared at him, "is that seriously all guys think about when a girl is freaking out?" She asked.

"Rachel, you're pacing around the room in your bra and underwear," he got up and moved towards her, resting his hands on her hips, "I can't help the thoughts of my beautiful girlfriend and it reminds me how lucky I am to have you in my life and because you trust me to see you like this."

She blushed and leaned up to kiss him gently, "when you put it like that, it doesn't sound so bad and you have never given me a reason to distrust you and I hope you never do," she told him.

"I never will," he promised, "I love you too much to screw things up," he told her, giving her a hug, while his hands moved down to rest on back side, "now why don't you put some clothes on before I call them and tell them we're not coming," he murmured, nipping at her neck a little.

Feeling his hands on such an intimate place, she gasped at the feel, "wow, I'm still not used to being touched liked this," she whispered.

"How?" He let his hands slide down, just slightly, and then moved them up her back and paused, letting them rest on her upper arms, feeling the goosebumps on her skin, "you like?"

She bit her lip and nodded, "yeah, and as much as I'd love to continue, I'm... I'm not ready for that yet," she murmured.

Noah gave her a loving hug and kiss, "neither of us are, babe, and I'm perfectly content in waiting," he assured her.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"You're welcome," he kissed her once more before letting her go and waiting for her to get dressed.

...

Since Noah wasn't working and was only there to meet up with Demi and Joe, Ethan didn't go along with the teens, so Noah, Rachel, Quinn and Finn piled into a taxi and headed over to the studio where he usually recorded and once they arrived, Noah found out what floor they would be on and headed in the direction of the elevators. When they stepped off on the right floor, Noah guided them.

"Wow, this is amazing," Rachel admitted, looking around as they walked down the hall.

"You're here!" A girl exclaimed down at the end of the hallway and soon Noah had the dark haired girl wrapped around him in a hug, "hi!"

Noah laughed lightly, but returned her hug, "hey Demi." Turning his gaze to the guy standing near them, he nodded at him, "Joe."

"Hey Puck," Joe returned his nod.

"I'd like you guys to meet my best friend, Finn, his girlfriend, Quinn, and the beautiful one is my girlfriend, Rachel. Everyone this is Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas," Noah said, quickly taking care of the sometimes awkward introductions.

"It's so nice to finally meet you guys!" Demi hugged Rachel, Quinn and Finn.

"You'll have to excuse Demi," Joe laughed, "she's gone through three coffees already. Nice to meet you guys," Joe waved at them.

Demi rolled her eyes and linked her arms with Quinn and Rachel's and began guiding them down the hallway, "okay, so I'm sure that he hasn't showed you around much, but right now we're going into a vocal room with a piano to practice and warm up, then we'll go into the studio..." She trailed off as she began showing the girls around.

Noah watched the three girls walk down the hallway and laughed lightly, "I guess we're going that way," he motioned ahead and he, Finn and Joe followed the girls.

"So how's life back home?" Joe asked Noah.

"Amazing," Noah smiled, "I needed it."

"Nice. Nick said you had gone back to finish high school. What year are you in?"

"Junior year," Noah replied, "Finn and Quinn and also Juniors and Rachel is a Sophomore."

The six of them walked into the room with a piano in the middle and it had papers scattered over the top of it. Noah sat down at the piano and patted the seat next to him, and Rachel took the invite and sat next to him, while Quinn and Finn sat on stools at the other end of the piano and Joe and Demi stood on opposite sides, pencils in hands and the pages in front of them. "Have you guys warmed up yet?" Noah asked them.

"Yes, we did. We're ready when you are and we have extra copies of the lyrics and music if you guys wanna look over them," Demi admitted, sliding one set to Finn and Quinn and one to Rachel.

Noah looked at them, "you want to start on the top one?" He asked, glancing at the song at the top of the stack in Rachel's hands.

"Sure," Joe shrugged.

"I'm assuming you want to run through a few times in here and then go into the studio?" Noah commented massaging his fingers for a moment.

"Yes. We don't have the studio until one, so we have three hours to practice and then maybe lunch before we actually go in to record," Demi suggested.

"Works for me," Noah shrugged, "how about you guys?" He glanced at Rachel and then Finn and Quinn.

"I'm fine with that," Rachel said and Quinn and Finn agreed with her.

They started out with the two songs that were featured towards the end of the movie, 'What We Came Here For' and 'This Is Our Song', both with leads from Demi and Joe and after running through them a few times and making notes and comments about how they should be sung, they moved onto the next song, 'Wouldn't Change A Thing'.

Noah played the piano, even though it was written for a guitar, and they went through it once and the chorus stood out as something easy for any couple to relate to, "_you (me), we're face to face, but we don't see eye-to-eye. We're like fire and rain (like fire and rain). You can drive me insane (can drive me insane), but I can stay mad at you for anything. We're Venus and Mars (we're Venus and Mars). We're like different stars (like different stars), but you're the harmony to every song I sing, and I wouldn't change a thing._"

Noah finished playing and let his hands fall from the keys to rest on his knees, unable to look at anyone, unsure how his girlfriend would take the lyrics, because some were inspired by her, and he couldn't help blush because this was one of the first songs he'd written since they got together.

Rachel took his hand in hers, "Noah?"

He squeezed her hand and turned to look at her, knowing his cheeks were red, "yeah babe?"

"Why are you acting embarrassed?" She asked softly.

"What would you say if I told you that this song and the next one we're going to work on are the first songs I wrote with you in mind?" He asked softly, biting his lip.

"I'd say this song is amazing and it's all true. I know I drive you crazy when I try 'to save the day' and you frustrate me when all you and the guys wanna do is hang out and you keep telling me to relax and things will get taken care of; we're complete opposites, but we work well together and balance each other out, which is one reason why I love you so much; you're my other half," Rachel smiled, resting her other hand on his cheek.

Noah smiled, "and you're mine," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her, "I love you, too."

"Awww," Demi cooed, a bright grin on her face, "you guys are so cute."

Finn cleared his throat, "yeah, for the first five minutes. Just wait. One of our club members say they are sickeningly sweet and he's right. They just get mushier," he laughed.

Quinn elbowed him in the stomach, "be nice Finn, or you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

Joe's eyes widened a little and looked at them, "you guys sleep together?"

Quinn nodded, "yes, while we're here, we're sharing a bed. Sleeping. Nothing else," she commented, "I'm president of the celibacy club at our school."

"You are? Do you wear a purity ring?" Joe asked holding up his left hand to show her his.

"No, I don't wear one," she admitted, "it is something we've discussed in the club, and we choose not to."

"I'm all for being monogamous, but seriously? I don't get all these religions that talk about abstinence and celibacy until marriage," Noah commented looking at Rachel, "we're not waiting until we get married are we?" He asked for clarification, hoping he didn't upset her.

Rachel blushed at the topic, "while I'm shocked of the discussion, no, we will not be waiting until marriage," she told her boyfriend, "and you better be monogamous," she warned, "and I don't believe you must be married to prove you are in a loving, caring and committed relationship," she explained, looking at her boyfriend, "and since I've already found the man I'm going to marry, why wait?" She smiled, "I wanna make sure the sex is good before I agree to be stuck with him for the rest of my life," Rachel winked at him.

Noah's mouth fell open at her words; he'd expected the first part, he felt the same way, but to hear the last sentence come out of her mouth, he almost thought she was a different person, "Rachel! I've never heard you talk like that before."

"I know," Rachel smirked, "you've corrupted me," she kissed him on the lips, "but I love you for it. I need to be less uptight."

"I love you so much, baby," Noah wrapped his arms around her kissed her lovingly. "Everything about you," he added, looking at her with a smile on his face.

"Wow, you guys really are in love," Demi said, "I mean... I asked Taylor and he told me you were, but I... I never thought I'd see Puck settle down," she admitted.

"Puck isn't. Noah is; Puck's just coming along for the ride. Someone told me it's like Clark Kent and Superman," Noah looked at his girlfriend and smiled.

"I see what you mean. Are the glasses prescription? Because I've never seen you wear glasses before," Joe commented.

"They are," Noah nodded, "it's a long story. I usually wear contacts, but they're at home," he explained.

"Who's hungry?" Finn asked, wanting to change the subject to something less personal, given the mixed company.

...

The six teens left the studio and went to a pizza restaurant not to far away for lunch, letting Quinn experience a New York Style pizza for the first time and they got a chance to chill and be teens for a short time before they returned to the studio to get back to work.

They had only gone through three songs that morning, so they started with those first. Noah sat up by the producer and sound technicians, while Rachel, Quinn and Finn sat back on the chairs and couches. A few minutes into the first song, Noah turned around, "you guys don't have to sit back there, you know," he commented, motioning to some empty seats by him.

"You're busy," Rachel commented, getting up and sliding into his lap when he offered.

He smirked, "no I'm not."

Finn and Quinn took seats in the chairs near him and they all enjoyed the music as they worked through the songs and when they got to the fourth duet, one of them that they hadn't practiced earlier, Noah kissed Rachel, "listen," he whispered.

Guitar chords began the song and Joe began to sing, "_words don't come easy, without a melody. I'm always thinking in terms of do-re-mi. I should be hikin', swimmin', laughin' with you; instead I'm all out of tune, but what you don't know, you lift me off the ground. You're inspiration, you've helped me find my sound, just like a baseline, a half-time; you hold down the groove. That's why I'm counting on you,_" Joe glanced at Demi and continued with the chorus, "_and if I heard you on the radio, I'd never wanna change a single note. It's what I've tried to say all along, you're my favorite song... I'm in a session writing tracks, you've got another class to teach and then rehearsal with a band, you're always one step out of reach. I'm looking for some harmony with you it comes so naturally, you helped me find the right key..._"

Rachel blinked at the lyrics and as the two sang the next chorus, repeating it twice to end the song, she looked at her boyfriend, as he sang the final words with them, "_you're my favorite song,_" he kissed her gently, "our song?" He asked softly.

She nodded and hugged him, "definitely," she agreed, "I love it. It's amazing. When did you write this?"

"Late-September, early-October. They wanted a song to be background music while their characters had some time alone to have fun at camp, and I came up with that," he explained with a smile, "inspired by you."

"How did I not know?" She asked, surprised that she had no clue he had been writing for the movie after they started dating.

"I wanted to surprise you. I figured it'd be when they'd already recorded the songs, but it worked out that we're here now," he admitted, "so surprise!"

She giggled and kissed him again, "I love the surprise, I love you."

"Love you, too, babe," he replied, hugging her and kissing her once more, not caring that they had an audience.

...

Continuing on with the day, they worked out some details on the other songs, two that Demi had as solos, 'Brand New Day' and 'It's Not Too Late'. They managed to get all the songs recorded and as they played them back for everyone to hear, they started critiquing the vocals and had Joe and Demi re-sing a few lyrics to get the sound right and by eight that night, they were done and headed off to a late dinner.

Noah invited Joe and Demi to the condo for New Year's Eve and when he mentioned that Zac and Vanessa would be there, Demi was 'totally in' and Joe agreed to come and he said Nick was flying out that night and would be there in the morning.

"Nice! I haven't see him since you guys hosted the Teen Choice Awards," Noah commented. "I told Taylor about the party, but I don't know if he's gonna get up here or not."

"When was the last time you talked to him?" Demi asked.

"Uh, the day he left Lima, aside from a few text messages here and there," Noah replied, "why?"

"Oh, well I think he's coming, because he said he'd see me on New Year's Eve, but he didn't say how, but I told him I'd be in New York, so I guess he figured that you'd invite us," she explained.

Noah nodded, "yeah, I told him I was going to. I wasn't sure if you two would have to get back to LA right away."

As they continued their discussion, Rachel mentioned that it was Quinn's first time in New York, and they wanted to do some sightseeing the next day. She thought of going to the Statue of Liberty, and Demi and Joe were interested in going, and Joe said Nick would probably come, so with some plans made for the next day, the teens parted after dinner and when the McKinley students returned to the Puckerman's condo, Arin was asleep but their parents were awake and they talked to them for a little bit before turning in after their day.

Crawling into bed in just his boxers, Noah pulled back the blankets on Rachel's side, while she undressed, "so, what did you think of your first experience in a recording studio?" He asked as she slid into bed in just her under clothes.

"It was amazing," she smiled, "but the only thing I really care to remember is 'You're My Favorite Song'," she told him truthfully.

He pulled the blankets up over them and wrapped his arms around her, "I'm glad you liked the song."

"I love the song," she kissed him, "you're a very talented writer and just knowing that I inspired you to write something as beautiful as that makes it even more special when I hear it."

Noah smiled brightly, "that means a lot, babe," he pressed a kiss to her lips and brushed a hand through her hair, "I can't wait to find out what you inspire me to write next," he winked at her, "I love you."

She giggled lightly at his idea, but nodded, "I look forward to finding out. Love you, too."

...

'What We Came Here For', 'This Is Our Song', 'Wouldn't Change a Thing', 'You're My Favorite Song', 'Brand New Day', and 'It's Not Too Late' are songs in the movie Camp Rock 2: Final Jam and are also on the soundtrack; just borrowing them for this work of fiction; I don't own them nor did Noah write them.

Noah's ringtone for Demi Lovato is 'Lo Que Soy' which is the Spanish version of 'This Is Me'. 'This Is Me' is from the first Camp Rock movie, and then Demi recorded an acoustic version that is a lot slower and this is basically what Rachel sang when she and Noah first met. Then Demi also had it translated into Spanish to record. It's amazing. "_...lo que soy, es real. soy exactamente la que debo ser hoy. Deja que la luz, brille en mí..._" is the Spanish chorus and the equivalent in English is: "_...this is real, this is me. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now. Gonna let the light shine on me..._"

...

A/N4: Hope you guys enjoyed! Review and let me know what you guys think! I love those songs from the movie and honestly, some of them were, like, made for Noah and Rachel or this fic in general. So glad I was able to use them. **Up next:** Sightseeing in NYC and New Year's Eve with some celebrity guests. (Looks like the end of chapter 30 will beginning of 'the drama'.)

A/N5: 'Out of the Blue' readers out there? ... Who remembers Nationals? You know, when Terri kidnapped Quinn and Ethan when New Directions was in Seattle? Anyone remember the songs they sang? One of them was 'Umbrella'... I put that song in the fic in like January... AHHHH Glee 2x07 - The Substitute, they did a mash-up of 'Singing In The Rain' and 'Umbrella'... AHHH You guys do not know how freakin' awesome this was! I called in 10 or 11 months ago!

A/N6: In the next few days, I will be posting two new fics. They are currently WIPs, but won't be very long; I'm thinking 5-10 chapters. I have 3 chapters written for each and hope to continue writing them soon so I can have an idea of how long they will be. One is called 'Returning Home' for my fic table prompt #36 - Return. The other is for my fic table prompt #47 - Protection and is called 'Broken Road'. I was going to wait to post them after I was done writing them, but decided not to wait that long, so keep an eye out on FF or LJ for when I post them, and I hope you enjoy them.

**Family news:** Since I last posted, there hasn't been been too much change. We were supposed to go back to Seattle on the 22nd for mom's 3rd internal radiation, but about 2am that day the snow started and we got about 6 inches on Monday, so we didn't make it over to Seattle. Mom is starting to feel better, slowly, but surely, and things are looking up. I've been off work since Monday, because of the supposed Seattle trip and then Tuesday, my boss called and told me that I didn't have to come in because of how bad it was out in town with the snow, then I couldn't get my car out of the driveway on Wednesday, so I didn't go to work that day. Thursday was Thanksgiving and it's now Friday and I'm posting. We're getting there, guys; one step at a time. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers! They are loved!

...


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

**Wednesday, December 30, 2009**

Noah woke up smiling, with his arms wrapped around Rachel, "_I love waking up next to you. What the hell are we going to do when we get home?_" He thought, picking up her right hand and studying the ring she was wearing, he'd noticed it before, but never paid too much attention to it. It was a small band with a single purple stone in the center of it. "_I wonder..._" His thoughts broke when she stirred, "morning," he smiled at her.

"Morning," she replied, noticing his hand holding hers, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he assured her, "just looking at your ring. I've never looked at it up close before."

She nodded, "it's an Amethyst. One of my favorite colors is purple and dad and daddy got it for me when I turned sixteen," she explained.

"It's pretty," he told her honestly, "but wow, you've got tiny fingers," he smirked.

"I wear a seven," she laughed, "it's not that small. Well, I mean it is, but it's nice because most of the time that's the size of the display rings in a store," she told him.

"I know, but my hands are huge compared to yours," he pressed their palms together to show his point.

"But I like your hands, Noah," she slipped her fingers through his and joined their hands, "they're strong and make me feel safe."

"Well, then in that case, I won't complain about them," he said, kissing her hand.

"Do we have to get up?" She asked, snuggling closer to him.

Noah turned to look at the clock, "not right this second, but soon," he replied, "we're catching the ten-thirty boat, right?"

Rachel nodded and saw it was just after seven, "and we're meeting Nick, Joe and Demi there at ten," she added.

"Did you and Quinn decide if we're going to Ellis Island, too, or just the Statue of Liberty?"

"She doesn't really want to go to Ellis, and as much as I'd love to, there's so much to see there, that's a day trip in itself," she admitted, "so we're only going to the Statue of Liberty; we'll have plenty of time to look around."

"Works for me," Noah smiled. "As long as I'm hanging out with you, my friends and my family, we're good," he kissed her gently.

She smiled into the kiss and shifted one of her arms around him to hug him, then gasped and pulled away when they heard a knock on the door.

Noah smirked a little and tugged the blankets up, "yeah?"

The door opened and Alan stuck his head in, "you two might want to get up, you have visitors coming soon," he commented, keeping his eyes pointed towards the ceiling.

"Dad, we're down here," Rachel said, sitting up a little when she saw him.

"Oh, I know," he replied, "but the less I see of my daughter in the same bed with her boyfriend, the better," he laughed lightly, turning his gaze to them, relieved to see both of them in clothes.

"Who's coming over?" Noah asked, smirking at Alan.

"Burt, Kurt and Ryan," Alan said.

"Huh?" Rachel stared at her dad, "as in Kurt and Ryan from Glee Club and Kurt's dad?"

"Yes, that would be them," he nodded, "we forgot to tell you about them coming with us."

Rachel rubbed her face, "but they never said anything about coming to New York."

"Get up and by the time you two get showered, they should be here and they can tell you," he said.

Noah and Rachel exchanged confused glances, "alright, we're up," Rachel murmured moving to get out of bed.

Alan nodded and as he left the room and closed the door, Noah leaned over and wrapped his arms around Rachel and pulled her back into bed, "two more minutes," he murmured against her neck.

Rachel giggled and sunk back into his chest, "Noah, we need to get up and get ready."

He shifted and kissed her lovingly, letting his hand brush against her cheek, enjoying their last final moments in bed for the day, "okay, now we can get up," he whispered, smiling at her.

She shifted and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him once more, "I don't want to get up, I assure you, but there's always tonight," she smiled.

"I like how you think, babe."

...

Because Noah took quicker showers, Rachel insisted he take one first, so he moved into his private bathroom and was done in less than fifteen minutes, coming out of the bathroom in his underclothes. Rachel met him at the door and kissed him quickly before she moved into the bathroom to take a shower and once he was dressed, he left the room and headed into the rest of the condo to figure out what was going on, not that he minded having Ryan, Kurt and his dad, Burt, around, but he was surprised, because the last they heard, Kurt and Ryan were spending their Winter Break in Lima together, so he was confused what changed.

"Morning," Noah said, seeing Deborah and Carole in the kitchen, both sitting at the table drinking coffee.

"Good morning, Noah," Deborah replied as Carole waved at him, "sleep well?"

Noah blushed and nodded, "yeah. Slept great," he admitted.

"That's good," she smiled, "would you like something for breakfast?" She asked.

"Uh, sure, but I can make something. Where is everyone? What's going on with like Burt, Kurt and Ryan coming over?" He asked curiously.

"Dad and David just went down to the drug store to get some Dramamine for everyone, Alan is in the office making a reservation at the ferry for all of us, Quinn and Finn are just getting up and Arin is sleeping for a little longer. I'm not sure on all the details," Deborah admitted getting up and shooing him from the stove, "something about they got here yesterday and wanted to surprise you guys," she added.

Noah took the hint that she didn't want him cooking and plopped down at the table, "you know, I can cook," he laughed.

"Yes, but you cook for yourself, when was the last time you made a meal for more than you?" She asked with a laugh, "I'll make you guys breakfast," she added.

"Thanks mom," he smiled, "and you're right. So... Kurt called dad to surprise us? As in, Rachel, Quinn, Finn and I?"

Carole nodded, "yes. They knew from messages you would be in the studio yesterday and Kurt had your dad's number from the club, so he called to let him know they were in New York and wanted to know what you guys had planned. Your dad invited them along on our trip today," she explained.

"Nice," Noah smiled, "the more the merrier. Do you guys know his dad?"

"Burt does my oil changes," Carole admitted, "but I didn't know he was Kurt's father."

"Oil changes, huh?" Noah looked at Carole with a grin.

"Noah Aaron!" Deborah snapped, waving the spatula towards him, "be nice."

"What? I am!" He laughed.

Carole blushed, "I admit he's a nice man, but I don't know..." She trailed off as Finn entered the kitchen in his pajamas, "morning sweetheart," she said.

"Morning," Finn murmured, "why do chicks take so long in the bathroom?" He sighed, plopping down next to Noah.

"I showered first," Noah commented with a grin, "I'm faster than Rachel is."

"I should have done that, but to be a gentleman I let Quinn go first, and she's still in the bathroom."

"There's time to be a gentleman and that wasn't it, bro," Noah laughed. "I have a sister and share a bathroom with her at home."

Finn laughed, nodding at his comment, "I get it. I'll remember that for next time."

Hearing female voices, they looked up to see Rachel and Quinn coming into the kitchen and both went to their boyfriends to greet them. "Hey Noah," she smiled, kissing him gently as she sat down on his lap.

"Hey baby," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her, just as Alan came into the kitchen and told them that their ferry tickets would be waiting for them when they arrived.

...

Finn went to take a shower and by the time he was done and back in the kitchen, Arin was also up and the kids ate breakfast, since the adults had already eaten, and Ethan and David were on their way back from their trip to the drug store. David, being the medical doctor, was concerned that some people may get sea sick on the ferry ride to the statue, so he and Ethan walked down to the local drug store to pick up some Dramamine, just in case someone wanted or needed it.

When the door pushed open just after nine-thirty, the teens were in the living room, watching a movie, "we're back and we have visitors," Ethan called out as he came in.

Noah hopped up, from the couch and went to greet who was there, expecting to find Ryan, Kurt and Burt only, but he also saw Nick, Joe and Demi, "oh, wow, hey everyone!"

"Hey Noah," Ryan said, moving towards him, shaking his hand, "surprise."

"Yeah, totally! I didn't know you guys were even coming to New York," Noah admitted as he greeted the others, "and I thought we were meeting you guys at the ferry terminal."

"Well, we were up and ready early and Nick knew where you lived, so we figured we'd come over, and happened to bump into them on the way on the way," Demi explained, motioning to Ethan and David.

"Nice, well, we're not leaving for a while and we're watching a movie in the living room. Have you guys eaten?" He asked, looking around.

With a chorus of affirmative words, Noah motioned towards the living room and the teens followed him, "hey guys, Demi, Nick, Joe, Ryan, Kurt and Burt are here," he said, "but Burt's in the kitchen with the adults."

Everyone got up and started greeting those they knew and Noah introduced the new faces, "Arin, come on, don't be shy, they don't bite," Noah said, motioning her over.

Arin, who had never met any of the teen celebrities there, walked shyly towards her brother and stood next to him, waving at the familiar faces of Ryan and Kurt, and then blushed, "uh, hi!" She waved at Joe, Nick and Demi, unsure what to say.

Demi stepped forward and held out her hand, "it's nice to meet you, Arin!"

"You, too!" Arin agreed, shaking her hand and then shook Nick and Joe's.

With time to kill, the kids all sat down and finished watching 'Nim's Island', one of the movies Noah and Rachel had picked up when they first got to the city and slowly Arin was warming up to Nick, Joe and Demi and by the time they all headed down to the parking garage where a limo was waiting to take them to their destination, Arin was just as comfortable with them as she was around Finn, Quinn, Kurt, Ryan, Rachel and Taylor.

"Not that I don't agree with you guys wearing your Letterman's jackets, but you two stand out like a sore thumb," Kurt commented, looking at Finn and Noah.

"What's wrong with that?" Noah asked, pushing his glasses up on his nose a little more as he slid into the limo. "We earned these jackets."

"I think what Kurt is getting at," Rachel adjusted her own jacket as she sat down next to her boyfriend, "is that red is a bright color and may bring attention to our group, making it easier for you all to be recognized."

Noah shrugged and glanced at the others, "it's okay. We're used to it and it should be kind of quiet. I hope at least," he admitted.

"In case it is busy, Tim and Alex are meeting us at the park, too," Ethan explained and when he got a 'why' look from the teens, he laughed, "we're going to a very popular tourist destination and it's Winter Break for the majority of schools in the country. I'm just being cautious. I don't want anything to happen to anyone," he told them.

"Must be the cop in you," Finn commented with a laugh.

"No, it's the dad in me," he replied simply.

...

The limo brought them as close to the 'Castle Clinton National Monument', in Battery Park, as they could get and when they started piling out of the limo, Tim and Alex joined them. As greetings and introductions were passed around, they started walking towards the line for the ferry and Ethan and Alan went up to the ticket counter to pick up the tickets Alan had called about earlier.

The ten-am boat left, thinning out the massive group that had collected and the ones who hadn't been there before were taking pictures and looking around. Rachel and Demi were with Quinn and Kurt pointing out things and the others, Noah, Finn, Joe, Nick and Ryan were leaning against the railing by the water, "so what brings you, Kurt and Burt to New York?" Noah asked Ryan.

"My grandma," he admitted, "my dad's parents live here and she wanted to meet my boyfriend. Burt wasn't thrilled with the idea of Kurt and I flying out here alone and my mom couldn't go, so he took some time off at the shop and came along," Ryan explained.

"Wow, must be serious if he's already meeting your grandparents; pretty soon you'll be the younger versions of David and Alan," Finn commented with a grin.

Ryan blushed a little, "dude, we just started dating," he replied.

"I don't get it," Nick commented looking between Finn, Noah and Ryan.

"David and Alan are Rachel's _dads_," Noah said, stressing the words.

"Oh... Oh," Nick shook his head, "I get it! So, is like, Rachel adopted?"

Noah shook his head, "no. They had a surrogate, so one of them is her biological dad," he explained, "and speaking of Rachel, I need you guys to come shopping with me tomorrow."

"Shopping? Isn't that the girls' territory?" Finn asked scratching his head.

"Not necessarily, and it's kind of a surprise for Rachel," Noah said softly, "and aside from wanting my friends there, I could use the back up, so the media doesn't get wind that I'm going into an NYC jewelery store and buying promise rings," he explained, "I love Rachel and I don't want to hide our relationship, but I'd rather her find out when I give them to her and not because a photographer caught me and it's all over the web," he added.

"Wow, you are serious," Nick commented in surprise.

Joe looked at his brother and smirked, "Finn mentioned it yesterday and you'll really notice it today. What did you say they were?"

"Sickeningly sweet," Finn smirked.

"Are you guys talking about Noah and Rachel?" Kurt asked as he and the girls joined them.

Rachel blushed as she slipped her arm around her boyfriend's waist, "guys, we're in love; we're happy," she told them, smiling at Noah.

"Damn right we are," Noah agreed, kissing her gently and wrapping his arms around her in a loving hug.

...

The teens and adults spent the afternoon walking around Liberty Island, taking pictures, enjoying the view from both in and outside, even if it was freezing cold in the late-December New York weather.

Ethan didn't want the group to separate too much, just in case Nick, Joe, Demi or Noah were recognized, so the large group stayed close together, but the couples were still able to have some private time.

At one point, Noah pulled his parents aside and talked to them about his idea to get promise rings for him and Rachel and like he figured, they were happy to support his idea, but also suggested he talk to her dads, so while Rachel was pointing out different places to Quinn and Kurt in the New York skyline, Noah saw that David and Alan were standing along the railing, looking out over the water and didn't have anyone around them, so he walked over and slipped between them.

"Hello, Noah. What's up?" Alan asked, surprised to see him there, but when he looked to see Rachel animatedly pointing things out to Quinn and Kurt, he knew she was busy.

"I wanted to talk to you guys," Noah admitted.

"Really?" David asked.

Noah nodded, "yeah. I love your daughter," he told them.

Alan laughed lightly, "yes, we know... And?"

"When Taylor was in Lima, I know that David overheard me talking to Taylor and Finn about wanting to marry Rachel someday, and I'm sure he told you, Alan, and I... Well, I know we're too young to get married right now," he started, looking at them, "but I was thinking about going out tomorrow and looking for promise rings, because I don't plan on proposing for a while," he said, "and I wanted to ask you guys first before I did."

The two dads exchanged smiles, "Noah, as I told you, we already think of you as part of the family and I'd be alright with that," David said.

Alan nodded, "me too. Though, what would your promise be?" He asked.

"That she's the one, that I'll be faithful to her and when the time comes, we'll be husband and wife," he said truthfully.

"I know she'll agree," Alan told him, "she loves you, too," he assured him. "Are you going out before we leave here or when you get back home?"

"I figured if Finn, Ryan, Joe, Nick and I went out tomorrow it'd be hard to tell who was shopping in the jewelery store if we're seen by paparazzi. I think Taylor and his family are on their way here, but I'm not sure when they'll get here. I'd like him to come along, too, and I'm gonna see If Zac will join us, too," he added.

"That is a good idea, but if a bunch of teen celebrities go into the same store, won't that draw more attention?" David asked curiously.

"Maybe, but they won't know why we're there," Noah replied, "especially if none of us walk out of there with a shopping bag. Hide in plain sight."

Alan smirked, "sounds like you've already got it planned out. How are you going to get out of the condo without Rachel figuring it out?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll come up with something," he replied as his phone began howling. "What the...?" Noah grabbed his phone, "oh it's Taylor. Excuse me," he said, clicking the answer button, "hey man, what's up?"

"Hey, my parents, sister and I are in New York. What are you guys doing?" Taylor asked.

"We're at the Statue of Liberty and should be leaving here soon, and then dinner, wanna join us?"

"Sure, just let me know where you guys decide and we'll meet," he replies. "I can hear the wind; aren't you guys freezing?"

Noah laughed, "yeah, a little, but I'm wearing layers and I'm used to it."

"Dude, I've been in Detroit for almost two weeks, I'm used to the cold, too, but I wouldn't put myself outside willingly when it's freezing out," Taylor replied, laughing at them.

"Ah, come on, it's not that cold," he replied.

"Alright, well you just think that and I'm gonna stay in this nice warm hotel room until you let me know about dinner," Taylor said with a grin.

Noah smirked, "yeah, man, I'll talk to you later," he replied, hanging up his phone and as slid it into his jean pocket, he felt arms around him. "Oh no! I'm being attacked," he laughed lightly, seeing his girlfriend's jacket sleeves.

Rachel giggled, "I was wondering where you went," she commented.

Noah smirked, "you found me," he commented, turning around and kissed her forehead. "Miss me that much?"

"You could say that," she agreed, slipping her arms under his open jacket and snuggled against him, "I'm cold," she murmured.

"Oh, so now you just come to me when you need to warm up?" He pouted.

"Noah, you know that's not true," she replied.

He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back and kissing her gently, "I do know that," he assured her.

...

Content that her dads were okay with him getting a set of promise rings, Noah just had to figure out how he was going to get out of the condo with Finn in the morning, without the girls being suspicious about why they were leaving. He didn't figure they'd have an issue, but if the guys were too vague they would be curious about details.

After hours spent on Liberty Island, they caught a ferry back to Battery Park and Ethan called for the limo. While they waited for it to pick them up, once they arrived back in the city, they discussed dinner ideas and suggested they 'regroup' at the condo so they could decide where to go, but once the large group was safely in their limo, Tim and Alex said 'goodbye' and returned to their homes, since their 'job' was over for the day, even though Ethan invited them to dinner, too.

The Lautners met up with them and everyone was excited to see Taylor and meet his family as everyone met up at the condo. The large group chatted about dinner and other things and finally, after a long discussion, dinner plans were made and Ethan called to make reservations at the restaurant they had chosen to go to.

Relaxing around the condo until the limo arrived, everyone piled in and headed out for an entertaining dinner with friends and family, no one feeling out of place or uncomfortable with the company or place they were.

As dinner came to an end, Demi, Joe and Nick caught a cab back to their hotel, and so did Ryan, Burt and Kurt, but the rest went back to the Puckermans for a little while longer, before the Lautners left, with plans to return the next day.

...

**Thursday, December 31, 2009**

The occupants of the Puckerman's condo were up for the day just after nine and soon were joined by the Lautners, Kurt, Burt and Ryan by eleven that morning. Kurt wanted to go out, but Finn, Ryan, Noah and Taylor played the 'shopping is boring' card, so Quinn, Rachel and Kurt decided to go out, and left about noon after calling Demi to meet them. The shopping trip gave the guys an opportunity to get out of the condo without Rachel finding out, "um, what did I miss?" Taylor asked, realizing as they left the condo, that Finn and Ryan knew why Noah wanted to go out.

"I want to go get promise rings for Rachel and I, but I figured it'd be all over the internet by tonight if I went alone, so if we, along with Nick, Joe and Zac went, no one will know for sure what we're shopping for. It'll throw off the scent, so if Rachel sees pictures, I can just say that Zac was getting something for Vanessa or Nick and Joe wanted to get something for their mom," Noah explained as they walked towards the main flow of people in Time's Square.

"Oh, I get it," Taylor grinned, "you two act like you're already married, so the rings don't surprise me," he laughed.

"I was thinking the same thing," Finn agreed, patting Noah on the back.

Noah blushed, "guys, go ahead and keep teasing, but just think... When you are in a serious relationship with someone, imagine what I'll say to you," he grinned, looking up to see Nick and Joe waiting for them at their scheduled meeting place.

"Crap, he's got a point," Taylor laughed, "maybe we'll cut back on the comments," he added.

The other guys agreed and greeted the others, waiting a short time until they saw Zac walking towards them, "hey, dudes! What's up?" Zac greeted.

Nick, Joe and Noah greeted Zac, since they knew him and then Noah introduced Finn, Ryan, and Taylor to Zac. Taylor never had an opportunity to officially meet him at the events they'd been at, so it was a new experience, and soon the guys were heading towards a jewelry store that Noah knew well, a place that he and his dad had gotten gifts before and Noah hoped they'd have what he was looking for.

"What kind of store is this?" Taylor asked, looking around and realizing the designs on the wall were not typical of a general jewelry store.

"They specialize in European cultural jewelry, but mostly it's Celtic or Irish designs," Noah explained, "but they have other things, too. Dad's Irish. We found this place just after we moved here when were looking for a gift for his mom and we have been coming here ever since."

"Welcome, Mr. Noah Puckerman," Oliver, the owner said with a grin, moving to greet Noah.

"Hello, it's so nice to see you again," Noah said shaking the man's hand.

"And you as well. What can I help you find today?" He asked.

Noah told Oliver what he was looking for and the owner began pointing out all sorts of options for rings that he had that could double as promise rings, but nothing jumped out at him and as he was beginning to wonder if he'd have to go somewhere else, he came upon a section titled 'No Anam Cara', "my soul mate," he whispered and then grinned, "is that a bracelet?" He asked Oliver, when he saw a larger white gold band sitting in the case with those three words on it.

"Oh yes it is," he nodded, taking the bracelet out, "and I see you know what it means, too," he replied.

"Yes, I do," Noah nodded, taking it from Oliver and reading the words, and then looked over the rest of the band, seeing several Claddagh symbols filling the empty space, "it's prefect," he grinned.

"I thought you wanted rings," Finn commented.

"I did, but these are perfect," Noah admitted, "simple, yet it has more meaning than a single ring does, and besides, when we get married we'll get rings then," he added.

Oliver smiled, "do you know how big her wrist is?"

"I wouldn't even have a clue," Noah commented, thinking for a moment, "but I think I might know how to find out," he said, pulling out his phone.

"Who are you calling, man?" Taylor asked.

"Excuse me a moment, I'm gonna call her dad," Noah replied, "he'd know and if not, he can call her and find out," he explained, calling David.

After explaining to David what he needed, David admitted he didn't know, but promised he'd find out and message Noah quickly with the answer. Once Noah hung up, he passed on that her dad was finding out, so while they waited Oliver sized Noah's wrist and went looking for a white gold bracelet in his size, and just as Oliver returned, Noah got a message from David with her size, so Oliver went back into the store room to get a matching one in her size. Coming out moments later, Oliver smiled in success, "it's your lucky day, Noah. We had both of them. Usually that doesn't happen," he commented.

"Having her as my girlfriend makes me one lucky guy," Noah grinned, taking the larger one and wrapped it around his wrist to make sure it fit. "I really appreciate this, Oliver," Noah told him.

"It's my pleasure, Noah," he smiled.

Noah looked at the bracelet and then took it off, carefully returning it to it's box and then looked at the one for Rachel, smiling when he saw it matched his and nodded at Oliver, "these are it. Thank you."

"You're welcome and they are an excellent choice," he replied, stepping towards a stack of empty boxes and looked through them, "I think I have a box that will fit both, if you'd like them together," he added.

"That would be awesome," Noah said truthfully.

Successfully finding the box, he laid the two bracelets into the box, Noah's larger one wrapping around Rachel's smaller one and then the owner rang up the sale. Noah paid for them and slipped the box into his hoodie pocket, to keep his hands free and to keep the box hidden for the moment. Shaking the owner's hand and thanking him, Noah and the guys left the store and headed back towards the condo.

"So what's it like to be one step closer to being married?" Taylor asked, patting Noah on the back with a grin.

Noah shook his head and laughed, "remember what I said earlier about the teasing?"

"Oh come on, you gotta give us a little room to tease you and I think we all will deserve a little in return," Taylor grinned.

"Alright, I give," Noah threw his hands up in surrender, "bring it on."

...

With the banter between friends, they made it back to where they had met up and Zac, Nick and Joe parted from the group to go back to their hotels, promising to return later for the party, and then Noah, Finn, Taylor and Ryan went back to the condo, after stopping at Best Buy so Taylor could get something. Noah was relieved to find the shoppers had not returned yet, so once he had his jacket off, he went into the kitchen where his mom, Carole, Taylor's mom and all the dads were and smiled, "look what I got," he said, holding out the box.

"Oh! Let me see!" Deborah grinned, reaching for the box.

"I went out looking for promise rings and found these bracelets instead," he admitted.

Deborah opened up the box and smiled, "oh Noah, they're beautiful," she smiled, picking up one of them and looking at it, "what does 'Mo Anam Cara' mean?" She asked.

"My soul mate," Ethan replied, glancing at the bracelet, "these are awesome, son."

"Thanks," Noah replied, "oh mom, don't cry," Noah begged, taking the bracelets back from her as she wiped her eyes.

Deborah wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, "I'm trying not to, but you and Arin are growing up so fast. What happened to my babies?"

Noah hugged her and kissed her cheek, "just because we're older and taller, doesn't mean we're not your babies anymore," he told her. "We always will be," he assured her.

"Yes you will be," she agreed, "but I can still get emotional about this. It's a big deal," she told him.

He blushed, "yeah, I know, but I love Rachel," he said handing the box to her dads, "do you think she'll like these?" He asked looking at them.

David looked at them, "no, I think she'll love them," he said truthfully.

"She will," Alan agreed with a nod, "they're beautiful," he added.

Noah smiled, "awesome."

"Have you decided when you plan to give them to her?" David asked.

"No," Noah shook his head, "I know I want it to be special, but I'm not sure when. When we get back home, probably."

"You'll figure out a great way to give them to her," Deborah smiled.

"I will," Noah smiled.

...

After some lunch Noah hid the bracelets in his luggage so Rachel couldn't find them and the boys took over the TV to play XBox 360; Noah still had one there with a few games and before long the guys were deep into Halo, while the adults helped getting the snack foods ready for the party that night.

"Did anyone mention when Kurt, Quinn and Rachel are gonna get back?" Ryan asked curiously.

Noah and Finn shook their heads 'no', so Noah got up and moved into the kitchen, "um, anyone have any idea when our shoppers are getting back?" He asked the adults.

"I mentioned they should be back before dark," David said, "Rachel knows her way around town enough, and from what I'm told, so does Demi, so I'm sure they're fine," he added.

"Well, I wasn't worried about them until you just said that," Noah commented with a blush, "the guys and I were just curious when they'd be back," he pulled his phone out and headed towards his room to call Rachel privately.

Dialing the number he knew by heart, he listened to the ringing and hoped she'd pick up. After the third ring, he didn't think she would until he heard street sounds and her voice, "hey Noah!" She greeted happily.

"Hey baby, how's the shopping trip?" He asked sitting down on the bed.

"It's great! We came back to Rockefeller Center since it's has a lot to see and great shopping," she explained, "how are you guys? What are you doing?"

"We went out and wandered around for a while, but came back. We're playing XBox now," he replied. "Glad you guys are having fun, but when do you think you'll be back?"

She giggled, "are you checking up on us?"

"Well," Noah blushed, "kind of. I don't want to sound like one of those guys who's gotta know where his girlfriend is every hour of every day, but considering we're not at home, I would like to know where you are and if you're safe," he explained honestly.

"We're fine," she assured him, "Quinn, Kurt and I are on our way back now, actually. Demi is going back to their hotel and will be over with the guys in a while," she explained.

"Okay. Did you guys max out the credit cards?" He asked with a grin.

She laughed lightly, "no! Well, it's tempting, but we kept a limit. Kurt did the most shopping since he hadn't been here before; Quinn and I got an opportunity the other day," she added.

"Oh yeah," he smirked, "but today you didn't have boyfriends complaining about being bored."

"Good point," she agreed, "we're about to catch a taxi, so we'll be back in a little bit."

Noah could hear the traffic as it passed her, "alright, babe, be careful. Love you. See you in a bit," he replied.

She blew him a kiss, "love you, too," she replied before hanging up the phone.

...

When Kurt, Quinn and Rachel finally returned, the three were exhausted; they had the taxi drop them off at the same spot they picked one up at, but this time they had shopping bags to carry, too.

Noah took Rachel's bags from her and kissed her, "hey babe, welcome back," he murmured against her lips.

"Thanks," she hugged him, returning his kiss.

"What did you get?" He asked, peaking into the bags, but only saw tissue paper wrapped items.

"Just some new clothes," she admitted, "a few shirts, some pants, oh! And a few souvenirs."

"Cool," he replied, then motioned towards the bedrooms, "I'll go take these to our room."

"I'll come with you," she replied, "I need to drop my jacket and bag off," she added, following him towards their room.

As Noah stepped inside, he waited for her to come into the room completely before he closed the door and set the bags down on the floor. She had moved to her suit case to lay her jacket on and he moved towards her, slipping his arms around her from behind and pressed a kiss to her neck, "missed you," he whispered.

Rachel leaned her head to the side to give him better access when she felt his lips on her neck and sunk against him with a smile, "missed you, too," she agreed, turning in his arms to kiss him on the lips.

He held her close and smiled, "I'm addicted to you," he murmured against her lips, "love you so much. I want to be with you."

"I love you, too," she smiled, kissing him again, "I never thought I'd have someone tell me they were addicted to me," she blushed, "but I kind of like it."

"Good, because you're the addiction I never wanna kick," he commented, taking a seat on the bed and pulling her into his lap.

"You won't have to," she assured him, "I'm not going anywhere. Being with you makes me feel so good and I never want to be without this feeling," she admitted, "I know we live apart and I can deal with that because we see each other, but if you had to go away for a while, I don't know what I'd do."

"Hopefully we never have to find out what it's like to be apart for that long," he whispered.

...

The guests for the Puckerman's New Year's Eve party slowly arrived throughout the night. When Vanessa and Zac got there, Makena and Arin were overly excited to finally meet them, but managed to be civil and not scream. Noah and Taylor became the coolest brothers in the world when they both, because Noah suggested it to Taylor, produced the three movies and three soundtracks for their sisters to get signed. Both actors from the movies were more than happy to sign the stuff for the girls and that prompted them and the rest of the teens to sit down in the living room and pop in the first 'High School Musical' movie while the adults mingled around the condo.

"This are pretty good," Ryan commented from his spot on one of the couches.

"You've never seen these movies?" Kurt asked in surprise.

"No," Ryan shook his head, "I've heard about them, but never had an opportunity to watch them," he paused to listen to something said on the screen, "but there's a first time for everything," he added.

Kurt leaned against Ryan a little, "I'll tell you all about them if you get lost," he assured him.

Ryan nodded his thanks and draped his arm around Kurt's shoulders as they continued to watch the first movie and once it was over, the second one went in, and as 'All For One' ended the movie, and with plenty of time before midnight still, they put in the third movie to watch.

About three-quarters through the movie, Noah looked at his watch and saw what time it was, "wow! There's only ten minutes left in 2009."

"Really?" Rachel perked up from where she'd been snuggled against him, "we need to turn on the TV! We've gotta watch the count down," she said.

Noah smirked and nudged his sister, who was leaning against him from the other side and once she moved, he reached for the remote and switched to one of the local stations covering 'Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve' live from Time's Square and there was just under ten minutes left. "I know just the song we should listen to right now," he said, getting up and pulling his phone out. "I think I was about six when this came out, but when I heard it a few years ago, I couldn't help listening to it at least once on New Year's Eve, even if it didn't have any meaning until this year," he explained, docking his phone in the stereo system and hitting play.

Rachel narrowed her eyes in confusion, not recognizing it as it began with an upbeat tempo. "_Hey, yeah... Yeah... Kiss me at midnight (5...) Hey yeah... (4...) Oh... (3, 2, 1!) Kiss me at midnight, dance until the morning light, party into the New Year. All of my friends are here and when the time is right, kiss me at midnight... Kiss..._" Noah moved towards Rachel and took her hand, pulling her up and into his arms as he kissed her gently while the first verse played in the background, singing along to it lightly, _"I've been waiting for this special night to be with you. The colors of Christmas are still shining bright and I know what we're gonna do. Anticipating, music is playing. The magic is in the air. All through the season, you've been the reason I have so much love to share..._" As the chorus began again, the others in the condo were drawn to the music and soon everyone was listening to the song, following along much like Noah and Rachel were, "_kiss me at midnight. Dance until the morning light. Party into the New Year. All of my friends are here and when the time is right, kiss me at midnight... Kiss... Kiss me at midnight... Kiss..._"

Listening to the next verse, Rachel smiled at up at her boyfriend as he continued to sing along while they swayed to the beat, "_we've been making promises in the dark, our resolutions, as a brand new year is about to start and we're together. Celebrating, no more waiting, our time has arrived... The beat of my heart as the countdown starts, just look into my eyes... Kiss me at midnight. Dance until the morning light. Party into the New Year. All of my friends are here and when the time is right, kiss me at midnight._"

Kissing her once more, Noah sang the bridge, "_baby, it's New Year's Eve, a time we can believe in making wishes, dreams come true, just for me and you..._" The words trailed off into the chorus three more times as it faded to the end and he hugged Rachel, "this is the best New Year's Eve, ever," he whispered to her as the song ended.

With watery eyes, she nodded and hugged him, "yes it is," she agreed, kissing his cheek.

He smiled and guided them to the stereo, grabbing his phone and turned up the TV, just in time to hear the one minute call, so everyone made their way towards the windows and watched the large ball slowly dropping and at the ten second mark, they all counted down to the new year, snuggling closer to their loved ones and at zero, Dick Clark exclaimed, "Happy New Year!"

Couples on TV and in the Puckerman's condo kissed, and for the first time ever, Noah pulled his girlfriend to him and kissed her lovingly, his arms holding her tight against him, "happy new year, Rachel," he murmured, a bright grin on his face as they pulled from their kiss.

Still teary from moments earlier, she nodded and returned his bright smile with her own, "happy new year, Noah. I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied.

...

I got some information on the ferry from Battery Park to Liberty Island here: ( statuecruises . com / ferry - service / battery - park . aspx )

Lyrics used: 'Kiss Me At Midnight' by *NSYNC on their 'Home For Christmas' album that came out in 1998.

...

A/N4: Wow! This chapter was tough. There is so much going on and having all the people around really threw me for a loop, so that's why I didn't do many scenes with them. Talk about a lot, lol. I hope you all enjoyed it and we're getting close to the drama. I think it'll start in the next chapter. I have to look at my notes to be sure... Sorry for the mistakes, if there are any. I also struggled with the flow of the chapter. When I edited it, I fixed a lot, but I'm sure there may be a few rocky spots, but I hope not. I've been working on this chapter on and off for almost a month and several times I thought I'd scrap it and start over.

A/N5: I have updated 'Returning Home', 'Broken Road' and 'Out of the Blue' in the past week or so and I'm currently off of work for two weeks for my sprained ankle while I do some physical therapy, so I hope to get one more chapter of each done before the new year.

A/N6: News about my mom: As of December 7th, her doctor said she is 'technically cancer free'! She has to go a few years with being tested every few months and have a clean blood test before they can say she's in remission or cured, but the last CT scan they did showed no cancer cells, so the doctor is quite sure that it is gone. The tumor is gone now to a point he can't even see where it was! This is an awesome Christmas present and he's even saying that he doesn't think she should have a hysterectomy at all, because it could do more harm, because that area of her body has already gone through a lot with all the radiation they did. I really appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers and kind messages! They mean so much and I couldn't have gotten through all of this without you guys, so THANK YOU! Hugs to everyone!

...


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

As the celebration ended after midnight on the first day of the new year, the Puckerman's guests began to leave, until it was just those staying at there, but no one got to sleep until after three because they were helping pick up the condo.

At his phone howling just after eleven in the morning, Noah's hand reached out and grabbed it off of his nightstand and answered it, "hey Taylor."

"Hey man, rough night?" He laughed lightly.

"Just didn't get to sleep until after three," he murmured.

"Wow, we left at one and thought you guys were going to bed just after that," Taylor commented.

"Well, we were, but then we helped clean up more so we had less to do today and the next thing we knew it's after three," Noah admitted, "are you guys at the airport?"

Taylor sighed, "yeah, we are. This sucks. I don't wanna go back to Cali yet."

"I know how you feel," he agreed, "back to the grind for me soon, too."

"Why can't we vacation longer?"

Noah laughed, "the longer we're gone, the harder it is to get back to real life."

"True," Taylor agreed, "we're boarding our plane soon, so I wanted to call and say 'bye'. I mean, I know I'll see you soon, but you know what I mean," he explained with a laugh.

"Yeah man, I get ya. Have a safe flight and talk to you soon. I'll pass the message on to everyone," Noah replied.

"Alright, thanks, Noah. Take it easy. I'll call you later," Taylor replied.

"Will do, later Taylor," Noah said hanging up the phone and settled back under the covers, with his arms around his girlfriend.

"Taylor leaving?" Rachel asked softly.

"Yeah, they're at the airport getting ready to leave," he said, "he says, 'bye'," he added.

"Okay," she replied, "it was nice that he came for New Year's Eve. It's no fun that he has to leave so soon, though."

"I know and Demi, Joe and Nick were leaving around this time too," he glanced back at his phone and saw 'goodbye' text messages from them, so he sat his phone back on the nightstand, "and they did also," he added.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Almost eleven-thirty," he told her pulling the blankets up over them some more.

"I didn't think we'd sleep this late," she admitted.

"Late?" He laughed, "I was thinking about going back to sleep for a while," he murmured.

"Oh alright, well, I guess we could, but we have a lot to do..."

"It'll get done," Noah promised, "just an hour or two more," he told her.

She giggled, but kissed his cheek and settled against him, "okay, just a little longer."

Noah smiled and tugged her close and kissed her forehead, "thank you."

...

No one in the condo really got out of bed until after noon and the day was spent packing and helping pick up the place, so when they returned next, no one sure when that would be, the place would be clean.

Noah and Rachel, when they finally got up, finished the last little bit of homework and worked on packing up their belongings, on top of spending their last bit of time with their friends and family before they returned to their lives back in Lima.

Having dinner out that night with Burt, Kurt and Ryan, they enjoyed the night and Ethan had managed to switch Burt, Kurt and Ryan's flight from a later Saturday one, to the same one everyone else was going back on and also got them first-class seats; it helped being the 'manager' of 'Puck' when scheduling things like that.

...

Saturday, the second of January, just after nine in the morning, the limo pulled out of the parking garage, of the Puckerman's condo and Rachel was sad to leave, but was also ready to get back home, to their routine. She and Noah knew it would be extremely difficult to be apart at night, but the sooner they were back, the sooner they could get used to the fact that they were teens, living with their parents and sleeping together was a treat, not something they could do every night, so the past few weeks spent together were extremely special to them.

Driving a short distance, they pulled up in front of the hotel that Burt, Kurt and Ryan were staying at and Ethan went into the lobby to meet them and after loading their bags into the trunk, the four men slid into the back, found seats and soon they were off to the airport.

In the traffic, it took a while to get there, but as they finally arrived just after ten-am, everyone savored their final moments in New York as they gathered up their luggage and moved to check-in and though their airline's desk wasn't busy, once everyone got their tickets and moved to the security lines, they found where it was busy and they were all glad they had plenty of time before their flight.

...

Leaving New York at noon, their flight landed at the Columbus airport just after two in the afternoon and it was almost three by the time the large group had their bags and were on their way to their cars. Burt, Kurt and Ryan said 'bye' to them in the parking garage, since they were parked on a different level and so did Carole, Quinn and Finn, leaving the Puckermans and Berrys to continue onto their cars, that were parked next to each other. Once they arrived and got them loaded, they were finally ready to return to Lima.

"I guess I'll head back with my family," Noah commented softly, "that way you guys don't have to make a special trip out to our place to drop me off," he explained sadly.

Rachel nodded and slipped her arms around him, "I suppose that's the best; we don't mind, but I understand," she admitted.

Noah hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead, and when she pulled back slightly, they shared a long kiss, "I love you," he whispered.

She smiled at him, "I love you, too, Noah," she replied, "miss you."

"I'll miss you more," he murmured, kissing her again and reluctantly letting her go, knowing their families were waiting for them.

...

Returning to Lima after dark, the families called to check in with their friends who had come back to Ohio with them and slowly they all began to unpack and get back to their lives.

The first night back was not easy for Rachel and Noah. They were so used to the second person in their bed that they spent a lot of time tossing and turning during the night, looking for the extra warmth, but they could never find it, making them realize they were home and that was a luxury they would have to do without for a while.

Waking up Sunday, Noah called Rachel when he got up, knowing she'd already be up and they talked for a while as both began to unpack their luggage, but reluctantly hung up with each other after a while to finish, do their last bit of homework and prepare for school the next day.

As Monday arrived, Noah drove over to his girlfriends house like usual for a Glee day and as he parked in front of her house, she and her dads were just walking out, so he got out of his SUV and walked around it, waved at her dads and wrapped his arms around her, "good morning, babe," he smiled, kissing her.

Rachel tightened her arms around him for a brief moment and smiled, "good morning, Noah. I really missed you."

"I missed you, too. We're gonna have to revamp our plans or something, because this whole sleeping arrangement is not gonna work," he smirked, pulling open the passenger door for her.

"I agree," she admitted, climbing up into the passenger seat.

Once she was in her seat, he closed the door and moved back around to his side and slid in, leaning over to kiss her, "we could have sleepovers a few nights a week," he smirked. "Like Sunday and Wednesday at least," he commented seriously.

Rachel looked at him, "why those days specifically?"

"We have Glee Mondays and Thursdays and I always pick you up those days, so if I stay the night at your place the night before, we could go to school together the next morning," he explained, starting the engine and pulling away from the curb.

She smiled, "I'd like that. Maybe we should speak to our parents," she commented, relaxing back into the seat as he drove to school.

"Awesome," he smiled, "we will, soon," he agreed.

...

Getting back to the grind of school, no one, students or staff, wanted to be there, but as the end of the day finally rolled around and Glee started, the teens spent some time talking about their break and everyone was shocked to find out about Rachel being in Noah's video. Their friends began asking questions and Noah and Rachel happily answered as many as they could and while they were talking, Ethan held up a blank DVD case, "now that you've heard about it, you guys want to watch it?"

"When did you get that?" Noah asked shocked.

"Elliott gave it to me on Thursday, but we were all focused on packing that I forgot about it until last night and figured you'd want to show it to your friends," he explained.

Noah nodded, "yeah, I do!" He replied, hopping up to get the disc and moved over to the TV to turn it on and put the video in the DVD player. Hitting play, he moved back to his spot next to Rachel and took her hand in his.

As the ocean appeared on the screen and the music started, the video began just as it had been said, Noah surprising Rachel and the rest of the video was of them together, just has it had been recorded and at the end, when their friends clapped and celebrated the wonderful video, Noah and Rachel hugged tightly, "that was amazing," Rachel told him with a bright grin, tears falling from her eyes.

"Yeah it was," he agreed, wiping her eyes as he smiled at her, "and it's only gonna get better from here. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too," she replied, hugging him tightly.

...

Tuesday passed uneventful, but Wednesday, Noah got confused; all throughout the day people would pass him and say 'good luck tonight' or 'I hope you win', so he just said 'thanks', but didn't have a clue why they were saying that and finally, as their last class ended and their teacher wished him luck, Noah thanked him, walked out of the room and looked at his girlfriend, "did I miss something?" He asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Rachel looked at him as they reached her locker.

"Would someone explain to me why everyone keeps wishing me luck?"

"You don't know?" Rachel giggled and looked at Kurt and Mercedes, "do you guys know why? I do," she replied.

Mercedes nodded and so did Kurt, "yes, we know," Kurt replied.

"Anyone care to share that with me?" Noah requested, getting frustrated.

"Tonight is the People's Choice Awards," she commented, "and you're nominated for 'Favorite Male Artist'," she explained.

"That's tonight?" Noah asked shocked, "I knew it was coming up, but I didn't realize it was tonight," he blushed.

"Obviously," Kurt laughed as he closed his locker.

"What's obvious?" Finn asked as he and Quinn joined them.

"Noah didn't know that tonight was the People's Choice Awards where he's nominated for an award," Rachel explained, slipping her arm around her boyfriend's waist once she closed her locker.

"Oh, really? I thought you did because you were thanking everyone," Finn replied.

"No, I was just being polite. I didn't have a clue. I mean I knew the awards were this month, but I didn't know they were tonight," he admitted.

"They are, and I hope you win," Rachel grinned, "you deserve it."

Noah blushed, "thanks babe. I'm not expecting to win; I'm up against Tim McGraw, Eminem and Jason Mraz; all good artists," he explained.

"You've beaten Eminem and Jason Mraz before," Tina commented.

"I know, but Tim McGraw? I've never been up against him before," he replied.

"Tim McGraw has won tons of awards; you deserve it. Besides, it's people's choice," Finn said, "you have a hell of a lot more fans than he does."

"Yeah, maybe," Noah admitted with a nod, "I guess we'll see tonight."

...

Noah and Rachel had both driven to school, so he followed her back to her place and parked behind her on the street. Grabbing his backpack and duffel bag from the backseat, he climbed out and met her on the sidewalk, "I'm so glad you didn't invite anyone over," he murmured, pulling her into a hug and kiss.

"Why?" She asked once they pulled from their kiss, "wouldn't you want to be around our friends?"

"Yeah, I would, but we already did that with an awards show. This time, I'd really like to enjoy it with you, your dads, and my parents and sister if they want to come over," he replied softly.

Rachel relaxed when he said that, "good, because they're already coming over," she said, "your parents and sister, I mean. I messaged them this afternoon and asked," she added.

"That's cool. Thanks," he smiled, following her into the house once she unlocked the door. "I'm gonna go drop my things off in your room."

"Okay. We should probably do our homework, so you can leave your backpack down here," she replied, moving into the kitchen.

"Yes ma'am," he winked at her, dropping his backpack off at the bottom of the stairs, before jogging up them and going into her room. Setting his bag on her bed, he laid his jacket next to it and headed back downstairs and grabbing his bag on the way, headed into the kitchen to find her already digging through the refrigerator for things for dinner. With her occupied, he laid his backpack down by her bag and sat down at the island, "you know, we don't have that much homework," he commented.

"I know," Rachel replied, moving from the fridge to set a bottle of water down for each of them and then began collecting vegetables for a salad, "but the sooner we have it done the better. I can't believe our parents are okay with you staying here a few nights a week and I don't want to give them any reason to not let us continue," she explained.

"We're not bad students, Rachel. I get what you're saying, but I think they know we're not going to slack off on our work," he told her.

She nodded, "I just want to make sure," she replied.

...

Rachel started dinner for them and between processes, she and Noah worked on and finished their homework. David arrived home around five and said his parents and sister would be over in an hour. Alan got there about five-thirty and after the two dads had changed, they helped set the table and as planned, Deborah, Ethan and Arin arrived just before six.

Having dinner together, Deborah was amazed and proud of Rachel for making everything by herself, and Rachel happily accepted the compliments. She wasn't used to them from others, aside from her dads, and it was also nice to have the stamp of approval from a mom; something she had never had before.

As eight-pm rolled around, everyone was seated in the living room with the TV set to the channel broadcasting the '36th People's Choice Awards' hosted by Queen Latifah.

The first award winner that Noah really paid attention to was when Miley won for 'Favorite Breakout Movie Actress'. He was also happy to find out that 'Favorite Movie' went to Twilight and Kristen, Robert and Taylor won for 'Favorite On-Screen Team'. There was a large break in between the next batch of awards he was focused on, glad that Taylor Swift beat Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Carrie Underwood for 'Favorite Female Artist'.

As more and more awards were given out, finally they were nearing the end of the show and when two actors came out on stage, they said they were presenting the award for 'Favorite Breakout Movie Actor', and clips were shown of each of nominee as their name was read by the announcer and when the presenters appeared on the screen again, they wasted no time in moving to the next step, "_...and the winner for 'Favorite Breakout Movie Actor' is..._(2)" The male presenter opened up the envelope and before he could say the name, the female presenter began jumping up and down in excitement and exclaimed, "_Taylor Lautner!_ (2)"

Everyone in the room and in the audience cheered for him as he was shown, stunned in his seat for a moment before slowly standing up and walking towards the stage. As he made his way up there, they panned over the audience, showing Taylor Swift and her mom standing up clapping for Taylor. (2)

"She's so not over him," Rachel grinned.

"He's not over her, either," Noah agreed, pulling out his phone.

On screen, Taylor took the award and shook hands with the presenters before moving to the microphone, the fans in the audience, still screaming, echoing all over the place. "_Wow,_" he started, blushing lightly, "_thank you... Thank you so much... Oh, there's a lot of you out there... Um..._" He paused again to let the screaming fans settle down a little, "_this, uh, this really means a lot to me. This is, this is my first People's Choice, um... And it wouldn't have happened without you guys, the people, so thank you so much. You've done so much for me and, uh... I just can't thank you enough. Um, thank you to the cast as well, the crew, and uh, Summit Entertainment, but most of all, you guys. Thank you._ (2)"

The show went to a commercial after Taylor's acceptance speech, so it gave Noah a chance to send him a message congratulating him, not expecting a reply, and after the awards returned to the TV, he put his phone away and relaxed, knowing his award should be coming up and sure enough, Queen Latifah introduced two more presenters, an actor and an actress and as they reached the microphone, she started first, "_the men that you nominated for your 'Favorite Male Artist' tonight, represent the full spectrum of popular music _(3)."

"_Just when you thought Eminem and [Tim McGraw] had nothing in common (3),_" the male presenter added with a laugh.

"_Your nominees for 'Favorite Male Artist are: _(3)" the female presenter concluded.

As a clip was showed of each Tim McGraw, Eminem, 'Puck', and Jason Mraz, their name was said and fans in the audience screamed for their favorite and Noah seemed to have the loudest fans, which caused him to blush.

Rachel took his hand and smiled, "good luck," she whispered.

He smiled at her, "thanks."

The cameras went back to the two presenters on stage, now holding the award itself, and the man started this time, "_and the winner is..._" He paused to open the envelope and as the female looked inside she got excited, much like Taylor's female presenter had and they both said the winner out loud, "_Puck!_"

Noah jumped up and grinned, "yes!"

"_Puck was unable to attend tonight's ceremony, but accepting on his behalf is his friend, Taylor Lautner,_" the announcer said as the cameras panned to Taylor in the audience.

Rachel stood up and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and kissed him, "congratulations," she murmured.

"Thanks," he smiled happily, hugging her tight as he watched Taylor walk towards the microphone.

"_Thank you,_" Taylor smiled, "_I know without a doubt he'd like to thank all of you who voted for him, his family, friends, girlfriend, his management and record companies and everyone who has helped make Puck a success, especially you, the fans,_" he motioned out towards them and got cheers in response, "_you're the reason why he's getting this award. Thank you!_" He called out, nodding at the cameras before turning and walking off stage.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Noah admitted, accepting hugs from his sister, his parents and her dads as they congratulated him, "thanks everyone," he grinned brightly; his smile unbreakable, "this is amazing. I love my fans! I love you guys," he told them all, pulling Rachel back into his arms and kissing her, "I love you, so much," he murmured against her lips and then kissed her again.

Rachel tightened her arms around him and smiled, "I love you, too. I'm so happy for you."

...

When Noah and Rachel arrived at school the next morning, Thursday, even though Noah was still not a morning person, his smile never faded as they walked through the school halls, getting congratulations from classmates and friends as they passed.

"Congratulations, Noah!" Carly, a curly red head, said from her locker across the hall, right next to Crystal's.

Noah and Rachel had paused at his locker and he turned around, "thanks Carly," he smiled at her, and nodded at Crystal.

"I'm really glad you won. I voted for you. I'm sure most of the school did, too," Crystal said calmly, trying not to glare at Rachel.

"I appreciate that," Noah said, nodding at some of the guys nearby who congratulated him. "It's Crystal, right?" He asked, vaguely remembering her from the autograph signing after his concert at school.

Crystal nodded, "yeah it is," she smiled.

"Cool," he finished switching his books out and closed his locker.

Carly moved across the hall to stand next to them and got a glimpse of Rachel's ruby and diamond Star of David necklace Noah had gotten her for Hanukkah, "Rachel, that's a pretty necklace you have," Carly commented, motioning towards it, "are those rubies?"

"Yes they are," Rachel nodded, reaching her hand up to brush against the charm, "thank you. Noah gave it to me for Hanukkah. They're my birthstone," she explained.

"I thought I recognized them. My birthstone is the ruby, too," Carly explained as Crystal joined them, "Crystal, look at that necklace. It's pretty."

"Yeah it is," Crystal politely agreed with a quickly glance at it, fighting the urge to reach up and rip the necklace from her neck. "_Spoiled little brat,_" she thought, "_I bet you told Puck to get that for you. You're just using him for his money._"

Noah closed his locker and threw his bag over his shoulder, "well, I hate to leave, ladies, but we have to get to her locker and meet up with some friends. Would you like to join us?" He asked.

"No, we have to go the opposite direction," Crystal admitted, "but thanks for the offer."

"Alright, well, I'll see you in English, Carly. See you later Crystal," Noah said with a nod to them.

"It was nice talking with you girls," Rachel said, waving at them as the two took off in the opposite direction they were headed and then Rachel slipped her arm around her boyfriend's back and the two walked towards her locker to continue on with their day.

...

With Glee practice after school, the club really got down to business on the dances for their numbers for Regionals. They were familiar songs to them, so they didn't need to work as much on the vocals, but the choreography was what worried some, but everyone was trying to keep positive; they did have a month and a half until competition.

The last school day of the week arrived with Friday, their routines were back to normal. Rachel and Noah both drove to school and met at her locker and the day continued uneventfully. The couple spent the weekend together and Noah stayed at her place Sunday night so they could go to school on Monday together for Glee. During Glee, they continued to focus more on the dances and as choreography was agreed on and most were picking up the steps quickly.

Tuesday, January 12th, school was back to the normal grind. After classes were out for the day, Rachel went over to Noah's house, and while they were watching TV and doing their homework, a breaking news story interrupted their show to talk about the devastating earthquake that just happened before five-pm their time in Haiti. (4)

...

After an uneventful Wednesday at school, while Rachel stood with Noah as he dropped off some books and picked up others, she saw Carly and Crystal across the hall at their lockers, "hey girls," she waved at them.

"Oh hey, Rachel! How are you?" Carly asked, closing her locker.

"I'm alright. How about yourself?" Rachel replied.

"I could use a nap," Carly laughed, walking towards her, "so much homework and studying all of a sudden."

Rachel nodded, "yes, I have noticed that. The semester is over at the end of the month, so I'm not surprised, but it does make time to spend with friends and family limited," she added.

"Yeah it does," Carly agreed, noticing Crystal walking down the hall, "oh I better go catch up with her, talk to you two later!" She waved at them and dashed off to catch up with her friend, "Crystal, wait up!" Carly called out.

Crystal kept walking until she was out the doors of the school and then turned around, "sorry, you were busy talking, so I figured I'd just head out to the cars," she said.

"You could have stayed," Carly commented as they continued to walk towards the parking lot, "you usually do."

"I don't like Rachel, so why would I hang around her when I don't have to?"

Carly looked at her confused, "why don't you like her? She seems nice. Noah loves her."

Crystal rolled her eyes, "he thinks he loves her."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carly asked, tugging her keys from her pocket.

"I don't trust her. Doesn't it seem a little funny that the first day of school, his first day back here, she and him get together and the next day they're an item? She probably saw him, offered him something he wanted and now she's playing the sweet, loving girlfriend, using him for his money, while he's so blinded by the puppy love," Crystal told her.

Carly's mouth fell open in shock at what Crystal said, "that's absolutely crazy. You don't even know her and you're making a lot of assumptions and accusations with nothing to back them up," she unlocked her car doors and opened the back long enough to throw her bag onto the seat and then closed it. "What the hell is your problem? Can't you just be happy for Noah?"

Crystal shook her head, "I don't have a problem. How can I be happy for him? He's going to get hurt and I don't want that to happen. He's blinded by this infatuation he has with her, but one day he'll wake up and realize she's just using him and he deserves better."

"She's not using him!" Carly hissed, "you have no proof!"

"Am I bursting your bubble about your new best friend?" Crystal asked curiously, "you don't have proof that she isn't using him, so why don't you go run along and believe what you want and I'll do the same. One day you'll see I was right," Crystal replied as she walked over to her black car.

"You're absolutely crazy!" Carly called out towards her, "you're wrong, by the way!" She finished.

"_Whether I'm wrong or right, doesn't matter. Rachel will be out of the picture soon enough and then no one will have worry about her. Then I can have Noah all to myself,_" she thought, smiling evilly as she slid into her car.

...

After Glee practice on Thursday, Rachel and Noah returned to her house in his SUV and after doing homework and having dinner with her dads, Noah decided to go home to spend some time with his family before they went to bed. Saying 'goodnight' to her dads, Rachel walked Noah to the front door and they both went outside and walked to his SUV, where he tossed his bags into it and closed the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, baby," he said wrapping his arms around her.

"You will," she agreed, snuggling against him, "say 'hi' to your family for us," she replied.

"I can do that," he nodded, kissing her lovingly, "meet you are your locker tomorrow. I'm sure you'll beat me to school," he admitted.

She giggled lightly and nodded, "maybe, but yes, we'll meet at my locker. The club seems to meet there daily."

"Okay," he kissed her once more and held her tight, "I love you, Rach," he murmured to her, not wanting to let her go.

"I love you, too, Noah," she replied, tightening her arms around him briefly before reluctantly letting him go. "Good night," she added.

Kissing her once more, he smiled, "night, babe."

Rachel nodded and walked towards the porch as he got into his SUV and started it and she turned around just as he pulled away from the curb, so they shared a wave and once he was down the street, she went inside with a smile on her face, "_if only we were older and could live together; then we wouldn't have to sleep apart. I miss him,_" she thought, a blush growing on her cheeks.

...

_To: Rachel_

_From: (restricted)_

_Message: Hey babe! Wanna meet for a quick bite before school at the __café__ on W. Elm Street on the outskirts of town at 7? - NP_

_Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 6:03am_

Rachel read the message from the blocked number and when she saw it was signed similar to her boyfriend, she figured he just forgot to put in his middle initial 'A'; he usually signed his text messages with 'NAP', "sounds good to me," she said out loud, and finished getting dressed in jeans, an red argyle print sweater and her favorite tennis shoes and headed downstairs to tell her dads she was meeting Noah for breakfast. After saying 'bye' to them, she headed out to her car and got in, going in the direction of the café the message was talking about; it was on the outskirts of town, but was quiet, so she expected he suggested that place because they had good food and it was more private than some of the busier places closer to school.

Crystal had been waiting in the shadows of the building for twenty minutes for Rachel to arrive. It was still dark out, so she was dressed in black, had a black ski mask pulled down over her face, gloves covering her hands and a single syringe with a sedative she planned to use on Rachel; she only hoped it worked as fast as her dad once said. Being the kid of pharmacists and visiting her parents at work, she has access to everything she needed to make sure Rachel wouldn't put up a fight, and thanks to some well formed questions regarding homework, she was able to get the name of the sedative hospitals used most often and the dosage and was now waiting for her to show up.

Ten to seven, she saw Rachel's car pull into the parking lot and once it stopped, she waited until Rachel was sliding out of her car before heading towards her, stealthily taking soft quick steps and while Rachel was digging around in her purse for something, she made her move, stepping up to her, throwing her left arm around her upper arms, causing Rachel to drop her bag as she screamed loudly, "I see you got my message, Rachel," she hissed, stabbing the needle into Rachel's neck as she tried to struggle free, but Crystal's strength overpowered her and as the needle's contents emptied into Rachel, Rachel continued to scream, "no one can hear you. It's too early for anyone to be around. Thanks for parking next to my car. It makes this so much easier," Crystal laughed as Rachel continued to struggle.

Rachel was in severe panic mode, absolutely terrified; she knew she'd been given something because she felt the pin-prick in the side of her neck and the sting as the needle was pulled from her skin, "what did you do to me? What do you want? Who are you?" Rachel heard the plastic of the needle falling to the cement and a second arm went around her, "let go of me!" She tried to push the arms away, vaguely recognizing the voice, but she started to lose focus on her surroundings and her body started feeling tied and weak.

"I'm doing what every Puck fan has wanted to do since you got with him; get you away from him," she grinned, as Rachel's struggles got less and less as the sedative kicked in.

"What?" Rachel exclaimed, but it came out more like a gasping whisper as her arms and legs lost their fight and her body fell into a deep sleep.

Crystal smiled as Rachel's body went limp in her arms, "_perfect,_" she thought, pulling out her own car keys and pressing the trunk button until the door popped open. She drug Rachel's lifeless body towards her black car, laying her body into the empty trunk. Once she was all the way in, she grabbed a single length of rope and wrapped it around her wrists, binding her hands behind her, just in case the drug wore off sooner than expected and then closed the trunk, successfully trapping her.

An alarm on her watch beeped, "shit!" She hissed and dashed for the driver's door, started her car and pulled out of the parking lot quickly, leaving Rachel's car in the empty lot, the door still open, her purse, keys, cell phone and the syringe laying where they dropped on the cement.

Speeding away, she continued out of town and with some turns here and there off the main road, she came to an old abandoned building surrounded by some trees, so it wasn't too out in the open. Pulling around the back where the only door was, she parked as close to it as possible. The door had a knob, but a hinged flap with a padlock was what kept it locked, and Crystal slipped her key into the lock and opened up the door, then went to get Rachel. Opening her trunk, she found her still completely out of it, so she pulled her out and managed to carry her lifeless body into the building and over to a divided off area from the door. Laying her down on a blanket, she untied her hands, but quickly picked up a set of cuffs that were welded together so it forced the wearer's wrists together and padlocked them on her, binding her hands in front of her this time and double checked the lock, making sure it was secure in holding the cuffs on the heavy metal chain bolted to the wall and then pocketed the keys.

She had been planning this for some time and once she found the building, she stashed some dry food and water there, so she grabbed a bottle of water and some crackers and left them near Rachel, so she could eat when she woke up; she wanted Rachel out of the way; but she wasn't inhumane. "When Puck and I are together and he's fallen in love with me, I may release you, but until then, consider this your new home," she said out loud, even though she knew Rachel couldn't hear her.

Checking her out to make sure she didn't have anything stashed in her pockets, she smiled, "sorry to tie you up and run, Rachel, but I have to get to school," she laughed, standing up and headed for the door, locking up and heading off to school like nothing happened.

...

(1) ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ 36th_People%27s_Choice_Awards )  
(2) ( youtube . com / watch?v = F_R_Y7E8SlE )  
(3) ( youtube . com / watch?v = KbEvwtX23CY )  
(4) ( en . wikipedia . org / wiki / 2010_Haiti_earthquake )

...

A/N4: This is the drama that I've been hinting at. I've been planning this for a while and I've wanted to get writing it for some time. I know this is a cliffhanger and I'm sorry for that, but I'm working on the next chapter and I'm trying not to leave you guys hanging for too long. Review and let me know what you think!

A/N5: For those of you who don't remember Carly, she was introduced in chapter 23 during Noah and Taylor's autograph signing at McKinley. Noah knew Carly from his English class and is best friends with Crystal.

A/N6: There are a few things that were mentioned in this chapter that you may wonder why I brought up, but I did because they go along with things that will be happening later on, so I'm hinting at them now.

A/N7: I've been off the past week and a half with a sprained ankle and I've been trying to write as much as I can, which is why I'm posting an update to all my WIPs today. I go back to work in a few days and want to give you guys something before I do.

A/N8: Though in my previous postings, I didn't mention this, but I'll mention it now. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

...


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Noah headed into school just before seven-thirty Friday morning with his backpack over his shoulder and a coffee in his hand. Switching his books out at his locker, he headed towards his girlfriend's locker where the club usually met, since that's where he said he'd meet her and when he turned the corner and saw some of their friends and club members, he was surprised to see Rachel was not there, "hey guys," he said walking up to them.

"Hey Noah," Quinn waved, "where's Rachel?" She asked.

"I don't know. I was about to ask the same thing," he admitted, "when I left her place last night, she said she'd meet me here."

"She's not here," Kurt replied, "I haven't seen her all morning. Was she feeling okay? Rachel _never_ misses school."

Noah pulled his phone from his pocket to see no missed calls or text messages from her, "she was fine," he assured them, "I'm going to go call her house. Maybe she's gonna be late," he replied, moving outside into a quieter area than the busy halls and called the Berry's.

"Hello?" Alan answered the phone, not looking at the caller ID.

"Hey Alan, it's Noah. Is Rachel around?" He asked.

"No, isn't she with you? She left about six-thirty to go meet you for breakfast," he replied.

"Six-thirty? I didn't get out of bed until seven, so I don't know how that would have worked," Noah said, "I haven't talked to her since last night."

Alan was silent for a moment, "well, she came downstairs, said she got a text message from you to meet for breakfast before school at seven. She said 'bye' and left," he glanced at the clock, "that was a little over an hour ago."

Noah took a deep breath, biting his lip, "I never sent her a text message. I got out of bed at seven; you can ask my dad that," he admitted.

"I believe you, Noah, it's just odd that she'd leave and lie about where she was going. Have you tried calling her?" He asked.

He shook his head, "no, I called the house because I figured she was at home. Do you want me to try calling her?"

"No, I'll call her. You worry about school. If I find out anything I'll let you know, okay?" Alan said calmly.

Noah sighed, but gave in, knowing school would start soon and Alan wouldn't let him skip school, "alright. Thanks. I hope she's okay," he admitted, a knot of worry growing in his stomach.

"Me too," Alan agreed, "you'll hear from me or your dad, soon," he promised.

"Okay," Noah said softly, unable to hide the worry.

Hanging up his phone, Noah took a deep breath before moving back to his friends, just telling them that Rachel had an appointment she forgot about; he didn't want to worry them if there was no need to.

...

Alan hung up the phone before he dropped it, worry building, "where are you Rachel? Where did you go?" He asked out loud, trying to calm down, but without the fear and worry disappearing, he picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone number, hoping to hear her answer, but on the third ring, it was answered by a strange man's voice. "Who is this and why do you have my daughter's phone?" He asked quickly.

"I'm Lieutenant Mike Adams with the Lima Police Department," he replied, "could you please tell me your name and your relation to the person you're calling?"

"Alan Berry and I'm calling my daughter Rachel Marie," Alan tried to say calmly, but he was fighting back tears.

"Sir, something has happened; we're not quite sure what's going on, but is there anyway you could come to the café on the outskirts of Lima, the one on W Elm Street?" He requested.

"Yes, I'm on my way," Alan replied, hanging up the phone quickly and grabbing his cell phone, pulling up Ethan's number and calling him and when he answered he took a deep breath, "Ethan, do you know someone by the name of Lieutenant Mike Adams with the Lima Police Department?"

"Yes, I know him well; he's one of my best friends, why?" Ethan asked completely confused.

"Something happened to Rachel and he has her phone," he told him where he wanted him to meet him, and sighed, "I don't know what to do."

"I just dropped Arin off at school. Do you want me to come get you and we'll go over there together?" He asked, "I know where that is," he explained.

"Would you?" Alan asked.

"Yeah, I will," Ethan said, "I'm not far away. I'll be there in like five minutes."

"Thank you," Alan sighed in relief, thankful that he didn't have to drive there on his own.

The two men hung up the phones and Ethan double timed it over to the Berry's house, not too far away from where he was and as he pulled up in front of the house, Alan walked out and jogged towards his SUV, pulled the door open and slid in, "thanks Ethan," Alan said hooking his seatbelt.

"No problem, I'm glad to help; what did you bring?" He asked, motioning to a folder.

"A couple pictures of Rachel, David and I that I know she has in her wallet, so if they try to say I'm not her dad, I've at least got those," he explained.

Ethan nodded, "good idea, but I don't think that will happen," he said, "what's going on, anyway?"

Alan spent the drive telling Ethan about Rachel going out to meet Noah. Ethan told him that was impossible because Noah didn't get up until seven, then Alan told him that Noah called from school wanting to know where Rachel was, which is when Alan realized something was going on. He called Rachel's number and that's when he talked to Mike. "Oh God," Alan groaned, seeing the parking lot of the café filled with police cars, surrounding Rachel's car.

Seeing the same thing Alan did, Ethan felt sick to his stomach as he pulled into the parking lot and parked near where Mike was standing and as the two men slid out of the SUV, Ethan pulled his badge from pocket and clipped it onto his belt, "Mike! What the hell is going on?" Ethan asked.

"Ethan? What are you doing here?" Mike asked in surprise.

"That's my son's girlfriend's car and I just picked up her dad," he motioned to Alan, "so I came to find out what's going on."

Mike looked at Alan, "Mr. Berry? I'm so sorry you had to find out the way you did," Mike stepped forward, "we got a call about five minutes to seven this morning by the manager of the café. She showed up and found your daughter's car here, the driver's door was open; her bag, wallet, keys and cell phone were on the ground by the door and this," he walked over to an SUV and picked up a syringe, "does your daughter take any medications that would require injections?"

"No," Alan shook his head, staring at the car, "what... where is she?"

"We don't know," Mike said sadly, "that's why I wanted you to come down here... What do you know?"

Alan told him the same thing he'd told Ethan and both men promised Mike that Rachel was a good student, a smart girl and never did drugs, so that syringe wasn't hers, "no one saw anything, and her wallet and money is still here, so it wasn't a robbery. You said that she got a message from who she thought was Noah?" Mike asked.

"Yes, that's what she told us."

Mike picked up a zip lock bag that had been sealed with her cell phone in it for evidence and through the plastic he pulled up the menu and found her messages and went to the most recent one and read it, "must have been this one. It's from a blocked number, but we might be able to find out where it was sent from," Mike said showing Ethan and Alan the message.

"Where's my daughter?" Alan flat out asked them, "who did this? Why her?"

"We don't know, but we will find her," Mike assured him.

Alan nodded, "What happened?"

"I could give you what I'm guessing happened, but we don't know for sure," Mike told him.

"What do you think happened?" Ethan asked.

"I think someone has been planning this for a while, sent Rachel that message to make her think it was Noah, so she'd come here. The café doesn't open until eight; that's why the manager didn't show up until seven. I think the person who sent the message probably knew that and was waiting for her and when your daughter got out of her car and was digging in her bag for something before she closed the door, the person came up behind her, grabbed her and stabbed her with the syringe, which, I'm guessing had some sort of sedative in it and then took her somewhere in another vehicle," he explained, "and as for who... Noah is pretty popular. Maybe they know she's dating him."

Alan put his head in his hands and tried to stay calm, but all he wanted to do was to wake up from the bad dream, "someone kidnapped my baby girl?"

"Alan, we don't know that for sure," Ethan said softly, "but it is possible."

"We will do everything we can and we will find your daughter," Mike assured Alan.

"Thank you," he nodded, "do you... is it really necessary to keep her car and her things or can I take them home?"

Mike shook his head sadly, "right now, I can't let you take them. Everything is evidence, and something may be able to lead to who took your daughter. I promise you, we will be very careful and once we've had an opportunity to look for evidence, you will be able to take them home."

Alan gave Mike a description of Rachel and what she was last wearing when she left home and he also supplied Mike with a picture. After a little more discussion, Alan and Ethan agreed they should tell David and Deborah, so once they were done at the café, Ethan drove them to the hospital where they worked. As Ethan parked in the visitor parking lot, he looked at Alan, who had been silent the whole way, "Alan, would you like to talk?"

"I know the police will do everything they can, but what if they can't find her? Someone took her from us... What if... What if they..."

"Alan, she's going to be fine. We'll get her back soon. Don't think the worst."

Alan sighed and nodded, "I know, I'm sorry, but I can't help thinking that she's out there... she could be hurt... or worse..."

"But you gotta have faith she's going to be alright," Ethan told him, "let's go tell David and Deb."

"Yeah. How are we going to tell Noah?" He asked softly. "You don't think someone is after Noah and they're starting with Rachel first, do you?" He asked quickly, realizing Noah could be in danger.

Ethan swallowed nervously, "I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it," he admitted softly, "I don't know," he said honestly, "let's... As soon as we tell Deb and David, some of us will have to go to the school to tell him," he said.

The two men got out and headed into the main entrance of the hospital and headed for the elevators, going up to the floor that Deborah and David worked on and once they arrived, they went to the nurses station and saw Deborah talking on the phone, so they waited for her and she waved at them, letting them know she saw them. When she hung up the phone she smiled at them, "hey, what are you guys doing here?" She asked curiously, surprised to see Alan and Ethan there together at that time of the morning.

"Hey babe, we need to talk to you and David. Is there someplace we can talk in private?" Ethan asked.

Seeing Alan not looking good, she realized something was up, so she nodded, "yeah, his office," she admitted motioning down the hallway, "I'll go get him and meet you in there," she said.

"Thank you," Alan said.

Deborah nodded and Ethan and Alan moved into David's office and once inside, Alan picked up a picture David had on his desk of them with Rachel, and wiped his eyes, "I hope whoever did this rots in hell," he muttered.

"They will," Ethan assured him.

"Alan, Hey Ethan, what's going on?" David asked curiously as he and Deborah walked into the office and she closed the door behind them.

"Some... Rachel... Noah didn't get up until seven this morning," Alan started, "he never invited her to breakfast... Someone... Where she went... Someone took her."

David's eyes widened as he tried to understand what Alan was saying, "slow down a second, sweetheart," he rested his hands on his husband's shoulders, "what are you talking about? Someone took our Rachel?"

Alan nodded, then grabbed a tissue and motioned to Ethan, "can you?"

Ethan took Deborah's hand, seeing she was tearing up, "apparently this morning, Rachel got a message from a blocked number inviting her to breakfast at a café on the outskirts of town. Rachel went out there thinking she was meeting Noah, but Noah got up at seven this morning and when he got to school and found out Rachel wasn't there yet, he called the house and talked to Alan. Alan called Rachel's phone and Mike Adams, my former partner, answered it and asked Alan to come to the parking lot. Rachel's purse, cell phone and keys were on the ground by the open driver's door and there was an empty medical syringe sitting there, too."

"Someone... someone planned to take our daughter? Why?" David asked, wiping his eyes as he hugged Alan.

"There are a few ideas and none of them are going to make one teenage popstar very happy," Ethan said softly, "Noah's going to blame himself for this happening to her."

"How did you two meet up?" David asked, slightly confused.

"I called Ethan once I hung up from calling Rachel's cell and asked him if he knew who Mike Adams was and then I told Ethan and he came over," Alan explained.

The four in the room were quiet for a moment and Deborah sighed, hating to ask, but she wanted to know they were all on the same page, "you don't blame Noah, do you?"

"No, of course not," David said honestly.

"Noah didn't touch her. He did nothing to hurt her. He didn't buy those bracelets if he didn't love her," Alan told them.

Deborah nodded in relief, "sorry, but I just... I wanted to make sure you guys didn't, because I know Noah will feel like this is his entire fault," Deborah's eyes then widened, "oh no! What if this is a way of getting to Noah, too?" She gasped.

Ethan rubbed her back and hugged her gently, "as soon as we leave here, I'm going to McKinley to tell him and he doesn't leave my sight until Tim and Alex get here," Ethan explained calmly. "I'm so worried about Rachel, and until we know more about why she was taken, I hate to sound like Noah is more important, because I do care about Rachel, too, but Noah has to be protected."

"We know you do," Alan told him, "we don't doubt you care for her. You have to protect your son. He could be the real target. I hope it's not, but you're right, until we know anything, he needs to be protected."

The four fell silent again and Ethan glanced at the time, "I need to get up to McKinley," he murmured.

...

Alan agreed to go to McKinley with Ethan, so Deborah and David finished up their work at the hospital and took the rest of the day off and put in for a few emergency family days and agreed to meet regroup at the Puckermans in a few hours.

On the way to the school, Ethan called Tim and Alex at the same time so they could hear the same thing and both men agreed to be on the next flight to Columbus. Ethan parked his SUV in the lot at school, then he and Alan got out and moved into the school's office, wanting to speak with Principal Figgins first.

The principal was beside himself and agreed to help them out anyway they could and had the secretary call the classrooms of Noah and Finn and send them down to the office, so Ethan and Alan could talk to Noah and Finn at the same time, in the privacy of the principal's office instead of the middle of the hallway.

It was just after lunch and Noah and Finn happened to be in the same class, Spanish with Will, so when Will told them Figgins wanted to see them, the whole class teased them for being in trouble and the two boys, though confused, went down to the office. When Noah saw his dad and Alan there, he got sick to his stomach.

"What's wrong, man?" Finn asked seeing Noah looking a little green.

"Remember when I told you Rachel had an appointment she forgot about today?" He asked.

"Yeah," Finn nodded and then realized why he was saying that, "she didn't, did she?"

Noah shook his head, "I didn't want everyone else to freak out, so I just told you guys she had an appointment she forgot about," he bit his lip, "she wasn't home. Alan said she went to meet me in the morning, but I never asked her to." Noah motioned into the office, "this doesn't look good," he said softly.

Finn took a deep breath and sighed, going into the office with Noah and as Ethan saw them, he stood up, facing Noah.

"What happened to Rachel?" He asked calmly, preparing for the worst news.

"We don't know," Ethan admitted.

"What do you mean you 'don't know'? Where's my girlfriend?" Noah gasped, looking between Ethan and Alan.

"Rachel's been..." Alan paused, "she's been abducted," he said softly.

"What?" Noah and Finn exclaimed at the same time.

"Why don't you two sit down and we'll tell you what we know," Ethan said softly, resting his hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

Noah and Finn reluctantly sat down and let the guys explain what had happened that morning and as Ethan finished explaining that Tim and Alex were on their way, Noah dropped his head into his hand, "this can't be happening," he groaned. "So all you guys know is that she was taken and someone got her there by pretending to be me?" He asked and at their nods, he bit his lip, "she doesn't deserve this. It's all my fault. This should have never happened! I should have been there to protect her," he exclaimed, jumping up and began pacing and a million thoughts raced through his mind.

Ethan got up and stepped in front of Noah to stop his pacing, "Noah," he wrapped his arms around his son, "this is not your fault," he said, "you had no idea this was happening, so there was no way you could have protected her."

Noah bit his lip, "but I feel like it's my fault! I've promised her I'll never let anything happen to her and yet this happens and I couldn't do anything. What if they're doing it to get back at me?" He asked, fear building in him, "what if..."

"Don't do that," Ethan told him, "she will be found. Don't beat yourself up about this. I know you're scared and worried; we all are, but this is not your fault and no one blames you for this."

Noah's shoulders sunk and he looked towards Alan, "really?"

"Really, Noah," he assured him, "it's not your fault."

...

Rachel groaned as her body finally came out of the cloud the sedative put over her and as she began to get feeling back in her arms and legs, she let her eyes drift open, taking in her surroundings. Trying to shift, she went to move her arm and realized she couldn't, hearing the loud clank and whimpered when she saw the heavy metal chain and cuffs around her wrists, forcing her to remember everything that happened that morning, "no... No... please," she begged, tugging at the cuffs, trying to find a loose spot, but when they wouldn't budge she followed the length of chain to the wall, "help me!" She screamed, fumbling with her bound hands to stand up, "is anyone out there!" She yelled again, walking as far as she could with the chain holding her back and when she couldn't get more than a few feet, she choked back a sob and moved back to where she'd been laying, "help me!" She tried again, but with no kind of response, she sunk back down on the blanket, "_this can't be happening,_" she thought as the tears fell, "_who could be doing this? What do they want?_" She sniffled.

Her foot shifted slightly and she felt something and looked to see the bottle of water and package of crackers, which is when her stomach growled, "_I haven't eaten since last night,_" she remembered, reaching for the crackers and water. Inspecting the package, she found the seal hadn't been broken, so she felt safe eating them so she pried it open with her bound hands and pulled a cracker out, taking a bite and then did the same with the water bottle, making sure it was still sealed; for all she knew whoever took her put more drugs into the food and water to make sure she was knocked out when they came back, "_if they came back,_" she thought, slowly eating and drinking, unsure when she'd get the opportunity next.

As she drank down the last of the water, she pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them as her arms draped around them, trying to calm her raging emotions, hoping to figure out where she recognized the person's voice from and where she was. She couldn't see outside, but she knew it was still daytime from the light shining through the window in another room, but without any traffic sounds, she figured she was in the country, "_how long was I out?_" She wondered, wishing she wore a watch. "_Where do I know her voice from? I know it's a girl. I've heard her voice before, but where? I know it's not anyone from the club, but whoever it is, they do go to McKinley._" She began thinking through her classes, trying to compare voices of classmates to that voice, but she was drawing a blank as she heard the hum of an engine, "is anybody out there?" She yelled, standing up quickly, "help! Can anyone here me?" She called out, walking as far as she could with the chain holding her back and hearing locks clicking, and a creaking noise, she realized the door opened, "help! Is anyone there? Please!"

Crystal heard Rachel's screams for help as soon as she opened her car door and laughed lightly as she grabbed her school bag and some other things and headed for the door. Going inside, she ignored her as she dropped her things and then grabbed a chair and headed towards the room Rachel was in, "hey Rachel!"

"Crystal?" Rachel gasped, tugging at the cuffs, "you've got to get me out of here! Someone kidnapped me!"

"Oh really?" Crystal set the chair by the door and sat down in it, "you don't say?" She smirked.

"Come on, Crystal, help me!" Rachel begged and in an instant, Rachel realized why Crystal wasn't helping her as the sound of her voice caused neon lights to flash in her mind, "it was you!" She exclaimed stepping back, away from her.

"It was me," Crystal replied calmly, crossing her arms over her chest, "and not a moment too soon. You've got Puck so wrapped around your finger I bet if you dropped out of school you'd somehow figure out how he could take your classes, too," she commented, "and now you're brainwashing my friends."

"What?" Rachel snapped, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh yes you do," she snapped, "Carly. You know, my height, red curly hair? She seems to think you're some innocent girl, but I know you're nothing but a spoiled brat, used to getting what they want. So what did you give Puck to date you, huh? Did you sleep with him? Are you a slut for him? What's sex like with him?"

Rachel's mouth fell open in shock, "you're crazy! I've never slept with him! I'm no slut!"

"Bullshit you're not. Puck's a smart guy; he wouldn't let some short slut into his life without a reason. How much is he paying you to sleep with him?" Crystal got up and moved closer to her, "come on Rachel, I need to know."

"I assure you I have never slept with him, nor would I ever sleep with anyone for money!" Rachel exclaimed, trying to keep her distance from her, "Noah and I love each other; something you obviously don't know anything about," she hissed.

"Watch your tongue! I wouldn't want to be pissing off the only one who knows where you are," Crystal taunted her, moving closer to her.

Rachel said nothing, just turned her head away from her.

Crystal stepped closer and reached out and before Rachel could register what she was doing, Crystal grabbed hold of the ruby and diamond Star of David pendant and pulled it from her neck, "thanks," she smiled, looking at the pendant now in her hand.

"Give that back, please!" Rachel begged in shock, stepping forward, trying to grab it from her, but Crystal stepped back too fast for her to reach it.

"So what did you give Puck to get this, huh? Dudes don't buy personalize jewelry for their girlfriends that they've only been dating a few months," she laughed, pocketing the necklace, "but it doesn't matter now. It's mine."

"Please!" Rachel sobbed, "I didn't ask for it. He gave it to me as a gift."

"Yeah, a gift that you probably told him to get," she shook her head and retook her seat by the doorway, "you better relax, Rachel. It'll be a while before you see him again," she laughed, "be good and I just might release you in time for our wedding."

"What?" She gasped, "Noah would never date you!" She exclaimed.

"You want to bet? Seriously, Rachel... I know exactly how I will, too. I'm gonna be his shoulder to cry on now that his loving girlfriend has been kidnapped and the police have no leads. With no chance to find her, so slowly he'll begin to think she'll never be found and I'll slowly work my way closer to him until we have sex and I get pregnant. Then a few months later when I tell him I'm pregnant, he'll beg to marry me and hopefully he'll be eighteen by then so we can get married. I can't wait," she rubbed her stomach, "to have Puck all to myself, carrying his child and then one day just after we're married I'll come back here, where you've been trapped and I'll let you go, but by then, it'll be too late. He'll have moved on and you won't have a chance," she smiled.

Taking a deep breath at the psychotic story Crystal told her, Rachel shook her head, "you are one sick and twisted person. I can't believe you haven't been committed to the psychiatric ward," she said looking at her, trying to keep her emotions to herself.

Crystal got up and slapped her hard across the face, "I'm not sick, I'm not twisted," she hissed, pushing Rachel against the wall. Their heights were the same, but Crystal had the upper body strength that Rachel didn't, so has Crystal held her hands against Rachel's shoulders, keeping her in place, even if she was struggling, Crystal grabbed her grin with one hand, forcing her to look at her, "what did I tell you about your mouth?"

Shuddering in fear at Crystal, Rachel bit her lip, "watch my mouth," she choked out.

"Apologize," she hissed.

"Sorry," Rachel murmured, turning to look away from her.

"Apology accepted," Crystal smiled and pulled a set of keys from her pocket and Rachel thought she was going to unbind her hands, "do you really think I'd let your hands go free?" She laughed and removed the padlock holding the chain to the cuffs and with a firm grip on the cuffs, Crystal guided her out into the main room of the building and and moved her to an open door.

Realizing that she was stuck, because Crystal was a lot stronger than her, Rachel let the girl guide her as they walked through the room and Rachel realized it was once a mobile home, but it had been gutted, with a few bits of furniture left here and there. "Where are we?" Rachel asked softly.

"In your new home," Crystal said.

"Are we still in Ohio?" She asked, pushing back the nausea she felt at how Crystal was talking to her.

"Yes we are. I still have to go to school," she winked, guiding her into the bathroom, with no door, and motioned to the toilet, "go on."

"You can't be serious!" Rachel gasped in shock.

"Fine! Hold it for all I care; I figured you'd want to go, but if you want to piss your pants, go for it," she laughed.

Rachel bit her lip and could tell the place was semi clean, "alright," she murmured.

"Good girl," Crystal patted her head and pushed her further into the room and leaned against the door frame, "go on," she said again.

"Could you..."

"Oh come on, you're an actress and you can't piss by being watched? Well, get used to it," she said crossing her arms over her chest and waited.

With no option, but the need to, Rachel pushed her pride aside and took care of what she needed to and washed her hands, "you happy?"

"Yes," Crystal put her hands on Rachel's shoulders from behind and guided her over to a chair by a table and made her sit down, "hungry?"

"No," Rachel replied, not giving her the satisfaction of knowing.

"Alright, I'll eat alone then," Crystal laughed and grabbed a chain and attached it to her cuffs, "you really think I'd let you just sit here with only your hands bound? Yeah right," she said opening up one of the pizza boxes and taking out a slice. "Sure you don't want anything?"

When Rachel said 'no' a second time, Crystal shrugged and grabbed her backpack and while eating, she worked on her homework. Every slice Rachel saw her eat caused her own stomach to growl just a little louder until after the fourth slice, Crystal heard it, "eat," Crystal snapped.

Rachel eyed her, but reached out and took a single slice, relieved to see it only had vegetables on it and slowly ate it, not wanting to eat too much in case she got sick.

Silence filled the room, except for Crystal's casual handwriting on homework and Rachel started looking around for a clock when she noticed it was getting dark out, but couldn't find one, "what time is it?" She asked softly.

"Just after five," Crystal replied, glancing at her watch.

"Oh, okay," Rachel nodded and finished her slice of pizza. "You don't make any sense. Why are you doing this?" She asked, holding up her hands.

"Why? Because I want Puck and you're standing in the way of that," she said calmly, closing her book and sliding it into her bag.

"His name isn't Puck and he'll never be with you," she told her.

Crystal laughed, "you don't know a thing about him. He will. I'll say all the right things, be there all the right times, trust me, he'll fall in love with me," she promised, standing up and unhooking the chain, then guided Rachel back to where she had been and hooked the chain back to her cuffs.

"You think you're so smart, but you're the one who doesn't know a thing about him!" Rachel snapped, struggling with the cuffs. "Let me go!" Rachel called out as Crystal left the room. "You can't keep me here forever! One day someone is going to realize you keep disappearing and they'll follow you!"

Returning to the main area, Crystal rolled her eyes and packed up her things, collecting the pizza and some more water and dropped it off with Rachel, "not really. Who would follow me? My parents? Yeah right. They work twelve hour days every day of the week at Lima Memorial Hospital, and when they come home, they're too tired to do anything, so they won't know and I'm so new here I don't have a lot of friends yet," she explained, "but that will all change when I am with Puck. All his friends will become my friends," she smiled.

Rachel teared up; she'd been fighting the whole time, but hearing her talk like everyone is just going to forget about her, she choked back a sob, "stop! Just let me go, please," she begged.

"Oh, did a strike a nerve?" She laughed and patted her cheek, causing Rachel to flinch, "cry all you want. It's not going to do anything. Well, except make you more tired, but that's fine too," she laughed and left the room again and returned with a few blankets, "it's supposed to get down below freezing tonight. Keep warm," she winked at her.

"So this is just what you're going to do? Leave me here, come every day and gloat about what you're doing to ruin my life and then just leave? Pretend like you're a human being by giving me blankets and food, but yet you won't let me go."

"I just want you away from Puck. You don't have to be dead for that," she shrugged, "and I want to know what you're missing," she added, turning to leave again. "Bye Rachel!"

Rachel sunk down and looked at what she'd been left with: a box and a half of pizza, a few bottles of water and the blankets, and couldn't help the sobs that shook her body, listening to heavy chains locking the door and the engine pulling away, leaving her in the darkening night, somewhere in Ohio, in an abandoned building and already felt the night cooling off quickly, so she pulled one of the blankets over her and tried to curl up and stay warm while her mind began to fear that Crystal would succeed in keeping her locked away, but she knew her boyfriend; she knew Crystal wouldn't stand a chance at dating him, but what she feared the most is if Noah rejected Crystal, just what would Crystal do to her because she was mad.

...

Noah felt numb after he found out about Rachel and vaguely remembered leaving the office with Finn, Alan and his dad. Finn was just as shocked, but was able to deal with it and stayed at school while Ethan and Alan helped Noah collect all his books and school things, in case he didn't come back for a while and left the school. Alan drove Ethan's SUV back to the Puckerman's while Ethan drove Noah's SUV, not wanting his son to drive at the moment and when they got back home, Noah locked himself in his room, refusing to talk to anyone.

Deborah felt horrible and tried to talk to him, but David told her to let him have some time to himself to get over the shock; he'd talk when he was ready. Reluctantly she gave in and the four adults sat downstairs and tried to figure out what to do.

Mike called Alan and told him that they had issued an Amber Alert, even though they didn't have a lot of information about who took her, but they were for sure that she had been abducted and since she was sixteen, she fell into the criteria for the alert. They passed the alert around to their county, along with neighboring counties, in hopes that someone had seen something.

After school had gotten out, Finn showed up with his mom and Quinn and Finn immediately went into Noah's room, not caring that everyone else had told him Noah wasn't up for it. When he walked in, Noah was laying on his bed, back to the door and was asleep, holding a picture of him and Rachel from New York, taken just a few weeks prior, "Noah?"

Noah heard his name and rolled over, opening his eyes to see his friend standing over him, "what?"

"Get up," Finn said calmly.

"I'm not in the mood," Noah murmured, rolling over again and closing his eyes.

Finn walked around his bed and knelt down, "I don't fucking care if you're in the mood or not! You're not the only one feeling like shit about this! Her dads, your parents, Quinn and my mom are all downstairs and we're all just as worried about Rachel as you are! Do you know how hard it was to stay at school and try to explain why you and I were called down to the principal's office, or why you were not at school anymore? I told the club what we found out and everyone is just as upset," he explained, plopping down in Noah's desk chair, hoping his friend would snap out of his daze and realize he wasn't the only one upset.

Noah watched Finn for a moment and let what he said sink in, slowly realizing that he was right, "you're right," he said softly, pushing himself up and hanging his feet over the bed as he rubbed his face, "I just feel like this is my fault."

"It's not. No one knows the reasons, but even if it was just a crazy fan or something, it's still not your fault. You can't change who you are. And I know Rachel doesn't blame you for this, either," he said softly.

Biting his lip, Noah nodded and stood up, walking towards Finn who also stood up and he held out his hand, "thanks, bro."

Finn smiled and pulled the shorter teen into a hug, "you're welcome and she's going to be alright. They'll find her."

"I hope you're right," Noah murmured, returning the hug, "she's my everything. No one will ever compare. I don't know what I'd do without her."

"You won't have to find out. She'll be home soon," Finn assured him.

"Yeah, I hope you're right," Noah sighed.

"I may be a dork and tease you a lot, but I know Rachel's going to be okay," he told him with a smile.

Noah laughed lightly and nodded, "thanks man."

"You're welcome and I also took the liberty of letting Taylor know," he added, "because I figured you wouldn't be in the mood to be letting everyone know, so he's going to let your celebrity friends know."

"Really?" Noah asked as they started to leave his room and at Finn's nod, Noah smiled, "thanks. I don't think I could go through that more than once without getting upset," he admitted.

...

Ethan contacted Elliott to let him know what was going on, and with the Amber Alert that had been issued with Rachel's name and a picture, anyone who was a 'Puck' fan immediately recognized her and his fan MySpace, Facebook and Twitter accounts were all blowing up with messages from worried fans.

News traveled fast, so Noah reluctantly typed up a message and posted it on all his accounts that said he didn't know anything more than she was missing, so he left it with a thank you for their concerns and as new information came up, he'd pass it on when he could.

Taylor called and talked to Noah for a bit, but the friends hung up when Mike Adams, came over; Noah had known Mike since he was a kid and he trusted that he was doing anything he could to find her.

Noah tried to get some sleep, but his mind was too active to relax, and he remembered something David said before he and Alan went home; though he couldn't do anything now, he should focus on how he's going to help her recover after she's rescued and he knew Rachel would relate the most to music, which gave him and idea, so he got up and went downstairs into the studio where the piano was set to work with just a few words in his mind and began writing her a song.

...

Crystal came back several times Saturday and Sunday and did the same thing she had done the first day. Brought food to her, stayed for a while, but never released her hands from their cuffs, but did bring her back into the main room, continuing to act as if it was nothing unusual to have a teenage girl bound to chains in an abandoned building. Rachel tried to keep calm and not beg to be released as much, but she was scared and wanted to go home, but every time she's suggest it, Crystal would laugh at her and tell her 'no'.

As Sunday night came to an end and Crystal was getting ready to leave, Rachel looked at her, "how long are you going to keep this up? Are you just going to keep me here?"

"Yes I am," she replied, "and you'll stay here as long as it takes."

"Noah is not going to fall for you. He's probably not even going to be at school this week. Please, just let me go," Rachel begged.

Crystal rolled her eyes and nudged Rachel, so she leaned against the wall, "I'm not letting you go, so stop asking," she told her, "and tomorrow he'll be there. I can't wait to wrap my arms around him and kiss and hug him. He's going to want me soon," she promised, gathering her things and leaving without another word.

Rachel sunk back down on the floor and cried herself to sleep, "please, Noah, please don't fall for her," she prayed. Crystal had been telling her that so much that she was afraid she may have to start believing it.

...

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Noah muttered as he parked in the McKinley parking lot.

"We're not letting you out of our sight," Tim commented.

"We don't even know if this has anything to do with me!" Noah sighed.

"Until we do or don't, we're here, so get used to us," Alex laughed, getting out.

Over the weekend, Noah decided the best thing to do was continue going to school, even if he'd have shadows named Tim and Alex. He knew Rachel wouldn't want him to miss a lot of school and being around his friends was the best medicine for the moment, so he gave in and returned to McKinley Monday morning, even if Tim and Alex were there to protect him.

"Noah!" Carly exclaimed moving across the hall when she saw him, "are you okay? Have you heard anything? Do you need anything?"

"No, I haven't heard anything," Noah admitted, looking at her, "I feel like shit. I miss her," he muttered.

"Of course you feel bad. I'm worried about her, too," she motioned to Tim and Alex standing right next to him, "who are they?" She asked.

"They're my bodyguards," Noah replied, "Tim and Alex. Guys, this is Carly. She's in my English class," he explained.

"Nice to meet you," Tim and Alex nodded at her politely.

Carly smiled at them, "you guys, too. Is there a reason why you're here? Is it because of what happened to Rachel?"

"Yes, it is. We don't know why Rachel was taken, so until we do, they're here," Noah sighed, "in case this is about me."

"I hope it isn't, but I do see the concern," Carly replied, "why are you even here? I would think you'd want some time off."

Noah shrugged, "yeah, well, I know Rachel would want me to go to school and I'd rather go now, so when she does get home, I can take some time off then to spend with her, because I'm sure she'll be out of school for a while," he explained.

"Oh, that's a great idea," Carly smiled, "I didn't even think of that."

"Thanks," Noah nodded, "so where's your buddy?" He asked, realizing the other girl wasn't with her friend like normal.

"I don't know and I don't really care. We had an argument on Thursday and she hasn't talked to me since," she admitted.

"Oh, sorry to hear that. What was it about?" He asked curiously.

Carly bit her lip, "she just doesn't like a new friend of mine," she rolled her eyes and sighed, "but whatever. It's her problem, not mine. I like my new friend," she admitted.

Noah finished dropping off his books and closed his locker, "you're free to have friends that don't like your other friends. I have tons of friends, but some don't get along with others. It happens," he told her.

She nodded, "well, I should get going. I'll see you in English," she waved at him and headed down the hallway.

When she was gone, Noah went in to the opposite direction and pushed aside the sick feeling in his stomach as he joined their friends, missing Rachel and tried to get on with his day.

...

Noah made it through the first day back at school without Rachel, but it wasn't easy. The hardest part was accepting condolences from everyone in school and trying to stay positive, while his whole insides were falling apart. She was the only girl he loved and would ever love, so it hurt to know she could be gone for good, but he was continuing through school for her and after school, during Glee they talked about the 'what ifs' of Rachel not returning before Regionals, if they were even going to go and what they were going to do since she was singing on two of their three songs.

They decided to hold off on making any changes, all hopeful that Rachel would be found soon, so they took the day off and when Noah got back home, he did his homework and went right back into the studio to continue working on the song he was writing.

Hearing a knock on the studio door, Noah stopped playing on the piano, "come in!" He called out, expecting his parents, but as the door open and he turned to the door, his eyes widened, "Taylor? What are you doing here?" He gasped.

Taylor looked at him, "you serious? I came as soon as I could," he replied.

Noah smiled, "you didn't have to come out here," he admitted, hugging him, "but thanks."

"You're welcome," he returned his hug, "what are you working on?" He asked, motioning to the piano.

"Something for Rachel," he said, sitting back down on the piano bench, "nothing really put together yet, but it's getting there."

"Nice. She'll love it," Taylor told him, "so... No word? Anything?"

"Nothing," Noah sighed.

"Well, she'll be found," Taylor said confidently.

...

Noah decided to not go to school on Tuesday because Taylor was there and he just wasn't in the mood, so he and Taylor spent the day playing XBox and hanging out.

When Crystal saw that Noah wasn't in school that day, she was upset, but she knew he was still in a process of 'mourning' so she expected he'd need some time and as the day came to an end and she saw Carly digging in her locker, she walked up to her own and got her things from it and turned to Carly, "can I talk to you?"

Carly closed her locker and looked at her, "depends. What do you want to talk about?"

Crystal sighed, "I'm sorry okay? I shouldn't have snapped at you," she admitted. "You were my first true friend when I moved here last year and I shouldn't have gotten jealous about your relationship with Noah or Rachel."

"What relationship?" Carly looked at her, "I just met them! It's not like they're my best friends. I talk to them once or twice a day at school and have a class with him! That's it!" Carly shook her head.

"I know and I shouldn't have gotten jealous, but I just didn't want to lose my best friend, okay? I'm sorry," Crystal admitted.

Carly nodded, "okay, you're sorry, I get it, but what you said about her really pissed me off. It's not true and now she's missing," she commented.

"I know she is. I heard the news, but are you sure she didn't just, like, take off and make it look like she was kidnapped," she smirked.

Carly shook her head, "you know what? I think it's better that we're not friends. I can't be friends someone who is going to make rude and cruel accusations about Rachel like that. She's missing and could be dead and you're making a joke out of it. Goodbye, Crystal," Carly hissed, turning on her heel and storming off in the other direction, glad that the hallway was empty.

"_Shit!_" Crystal thought, "_I should have kept my mouth shut. Fuck!_" She sighed and headed out to her car.

She stopped at Domino's and got more pizza and headed out to Rachel. Getting there, she went in and released Rachel and didn't even speak to her just guided her over to the bathroom and ignored her questions. Crystal was pissed at Carly and wasn't in the mood to deal with Rachel's mouth, so when she locked her cuff to the chain at the table, she nudged the pizza box to her, "eat and shut the fuck up."

Rachel's eyes widened, surprised that she was acting colder than usual, "did Noah turn down your advances?" She smirked.

Crystal moved back to Rachel and slapped her across the face again, "fuck you, you little slut!"

"What in the world!" Rachel gasped, rubbing her cheek, "what is wrong with you?"

"Not only have you stolen my boyfriend, but now you've taken my best friend, so don't give me any more reason to hurt you," she commented, dragging her back to her 'room' and forcibly attached the chain to her cuffs once more and nudged her back onto the floor, "I'm one step from hiring Jacob Ben Israel to rape you," she hissed.

"No! Please don't!" Rachel begged, pulling away in fear, "please don't!"

"Then shut the fuck up!" She snapped and stormed out of the room, ignoring the sobs from Rachel as she ate her pizza and did her homework.

She let a few hours pass and once she'd cooled off a little, she grabbed one of the pizzas and took it and some water and gave them to Rachel and saw she was asleep covered up with a blanket, so she left her, leaving the building, hoping that school the next day would be better.

...

Noah returned to school on Wednesday, and while he was getting his books for his first class, he noticed Carly across the hall, not speaking to her friend and as Crystal stormed away, Noah walked across and leaned against the lockers, looking at her, "what is going on between you two?" He asked curiously.

Carly sighed, "I told Crystal I don't want to be friends anymore."

"Really?" He looked at her strangely.

"If I tell you what happened, do you promise not to say anything to her?" She asked hopeful.

He thought for a moment, then nodded, "I promise."

At his agreement, Carly began, "Crystal was new here last school year. She and I became friends and now I'm her best friend. She got jealous because I was talking to you and Rachel, so she thought I was trying to replace her, which is not true. I can be friends with more than one person, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Noah nodded, "go on," he added, knowing she had more to say.

"Well, last week, she told me she didn't like Rachel and doesn't trust her, because she thinks Rachel is just using you for your money, while playing the loving girlfriend, giving you what you want and you're blinded by 'puppy love'. Her words, not mine. I think you two make a great couple and as a fan and friend, I'm happy that you're happy. Crystal is so stubborn that she thinks she is right and won't let anyone tell her differently, so that was what caused us to stop talking last week; I stood up to her, told her she was crazy and she didn't agree."

"Yeah she is," he replied, saving his comments until she was done.

"Then, yesterday after school she came up to me and tried to apologize for acting jealous, thinking she was losing me as a friend and I was replacing her with Rachel or something like that. I was almost willing to accept her apology, until I told her what she said about Rachel really pissed me off and now she was missing. She accused Rachel of planning it all and just making it look like she was kidnapped. I told her I couldn't be friends with someone who made comments like that, because I know Rachel didn't plan any of this and Crystal was just making a joke out of a serious situation, so I told we weren't friends anymore," Carly explained with a sigh. "I'm so sorry Noah."

"Why are you apologizing? You stood up to her. You were being a friend. Thank you," Noah smiled at her, "and Rachel is not using me and I'm not blinded by 'puppy love'."

"I know that, and so does everyone else, but somehow she got it in her head that she was and once her mind is made up you can't change it," she replied sadly, resting her hand on his arm, "I'm sorry to tell you this. I didn't want to, but you did deserve an explanation instead of me passing if off every time you ask," she added.

He nodded, "it's okay, and thanks for telling me."

Carly teared up, "I just feel so bad that Rachel is missing and there's nothing to do and she's acting all happy that Rachel is gone. It's not right!"

"I know," Noah nodded, "and she can say she hates my girlfriend all she wants, but it doesn't matter to me. I know the truth and I love Rachel. That's not going to change," he shrugged, "she is just gonna have to get over it, because Rachel will be Rachel Puckerman in a few years, even if my fans don't like it," he smirked, standing firm on that.

She nodded, "that's awesome, Noah. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, and to comment on your other statement. Yes, she is gone and I'm worried sick about her, but I know she'll be found and when she is, she's going to need the support of her friends to recover, so even though it's tough, we'll all get through this once she's home safe and sound," he added. "I'm sorry you and Crystal are not speaking, but if she's that kind of person, then she wasn't a friend," he told her, "okay?"

Carly nodded, "thanks Noah. With everything going on with you, you didn't have to listen to my problems."

"You're welcome, and I know I didn't, but I wanted to, and I'm glad I did. Made me see you are a real friend," he replied, listening to the bell ring over their heads.

"Guess we should get to class. Thanks again, Noah, and you're right. Rachel will be found, I hope soon," she said.

"Me too, Carly, me too," he agreed, pushing off the lockers and nodding at her before walking down the hallway to his class.

...

Crystal's Wednesday was worse than the day before, because she watched Carly sit with 'Puck' and his friends from the Glee club, "_you bitch! You just don't want to be friends with me because you want to move in on him, too!_" She thought, glad she didn't have any classes with her.

Leaving McKinley, Crystal was pissed again. The person she thought was a friend turned out to be doing the same thing Rachel was, using 'Puck', and to make things worse, after she left the pizza place, a white and blue cop car was right behind her, "_oh shit!_" She thought, making sure she was going the speed limit and doing everything correctly, "_the last thing you need to do is draw attention to yourself,_" she thought, carefully driving out of town, "_I gotta do something with her so I don't have to keep coming out here,_" she kept glancing in the rear view mirror and sighed in relief as the car turned off, "oh thank God!" She murmured.

The drive out made her more nervous and knew there probably would be more cops out soon, so as she pulled up and parked, she went inside and before greeting Rachel, she began pacing in the main room, "what am I going to do?" She wondered, looking around for ideas and then grabbed the map she found the place with and started looking at it. As her finger found where they currently were and saw the area nearby, she grinned as an idea came to her, "_tonight._"

Rachel groaned when Crystal finally came in and removed her cuffs from the chain, "I have to go to the bathroom so bad," she murmured.

Crystal smirked and guided her into the bathroom, "yeah I know," she replied, "_but it won't matter soon,_" she thought.

Once Rachel was taken care of, they went to the table and after the chain was attached to her cuffs, they ate in silence. Rachel had decided to the best thing to do was to just keep her mouth shut and hoped Crystal would do the same. She could beg all she wanted, but Crystal didn't seem to have any compassion and Rachel knew she needed to save her strength, even if she was getting two semi-decent meals a day; she couldn't let Crystal see her breaking, even if she was terrified of her and where they were; the noises at night really scared her.

Crystal did her homework like she usually did and just after six, she packed up her bag and got ready to leave, locking Rachel back up in the other room and giving her some pizza and water. "See ya later," she said.

Rachel laid down and pulled the two blankets over her, finding she needed both of them to keep warm while she curled in a ball on the softer blanket she first had down; it got really cold at night because there was no heat.

Hearing Crystal lock the door, Rachel broke down and began sobbing like she had done many times, each day her hope of being found getting less and less as Crystal still continued to remind her that this was her new 'home'. "Please Noah, find me," she begged, "please," she choked out and tried to hold on to their memories, but they were beginning to fade, with her hope, scared that she would never see him or anyone she once knew again.

...

A/N4: I hope it wasn't too long of a wait between updates. I know I left the last chapter (and this chapter) in a kind of 'cliffhanger', but I promise next chapter we'll see some resolution. Please review and let me know what you think. Love you all!

A/N5: Happy 1/11/11!

...


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Crystal went home to get some sleep and just after midnight on Thursday, she quietly snuck out of her house and drove out to the building and as she parked, she slowly went inside, having to use a flashlight to see and went right to the box she stashed the medicine in and filled a syringe with the sedative, and slipped it into her hoodie pocket and then went into the room Rachel was in, "hey Rachel," she said happily.

Rachel was half asleep, but had heard the door open, and kept quiet because she didn't know who was there and when she heard Crystal's voice, as much as she was relieved that it wasn't some mass murderer, she was terrified, "Crystal?"

"Yep, it's me," she removed the chain from the cuffs, "come on, let's get you to the bathroom since I'm here."

"Thank you," Rachel murmured, still tired, but did need to go. "Why are you here?"

"I forgot something," she said casually while Rachel took care of what she needed to.

"Oh," Rachel moved out of the bathroom and tiredly walked back to her warm spot. Once her cuffs were attached to the chain again, she ignored Crystal and pulled her blankets back over her.

Crystal reached for the blankets, "goodbye Rachel," she said with a grin, sticking the needle in her neck and emptying the contents into her body.

Rachel gasped and tried to bat away her hands, "what are you doing?" She exclaimed, "stop! Please!" Rachel struggled, but she wasn't quite awake and Crystal shifted once the needle was free and pinned her down, "please, don't hurt me," she sobbed, "I just want to go home. Please, just let me go," she begged, struggling more, but the drugs were already kicking in.

"I'm not letting you go, well, I am, but you'll be dead in a few days," she said with a grin as Rachel's body went limp.

Unlocking the chain, but leaving her hands bound, Crystal went out to her car and opened the trunk and then gathered Rachel up and carried her out to the trunk, then collected the blankets, a few waters, and the pizza box and put them in with Rachel and closed the trunk and after locking up the building, she got back into her car and drove off.

Making a few turns just after she left the building, she got on a gravel logging road and as it came to an end, she stopped and turned her car around, so the trunk was facing the direction she had to go. Getting out of the car and opening the trunk, she carried the things she wanted to leave Rachel with - the blankets, food and water and once she found a good spot, far enough from the road so Rachel wouldn't see it right away, but close enough to the river for her to find it, she dropped the things and went back to get Rachel. Carefully carrying her through the trees and brush, she laid her down on the blankets and smiled, "well, if hypothermia, dehydration or starvation doesn't get you, maybe the wildlife will. You're too much of a liability. A cop followed me today and I just can't have them following me to an abandoned building, because they'll know something is up, and I don't have any other options, so I have to get rid of you. The sedative will wear off by mid-morning, and I doubt anyone will ever find you, so goodbye," she turned and walked away, got back in her car and drove off like nothing ever happened.

...

Thursday morning started like any other for Carly and as she arrived at school, she happened to arrive at the same time as Noah, Tim and Alex did, so she greeted them and they walked into school together.

On their walk, Carly asked Noah about Rachel and he sadly told her there was no news about her, it was like she just vanished into thin air because there was no trace of her anywhere. Carly sighed and patted his shoulder, assuring him they'll find her, as they arrived at his locker, across the hall from hers.

She glanced over and noticed that Crystal was at her locker and though she didn't want to be around her, she also didn't want to let Crystal know she was 'avoiding' her former friend, so she walked over to her locker and opened it, casually continuing to sort out her books for her first class and neither girl made any acknowledgment that the other was there.

Out of the corner of her eye, Carly saw Crystal pick up a large set of keys in her locker, and drop them into the side picket on her backpack, just as a loud metallic sound hit Carly's ears, so she thought she had dropped something out of her bag. Crystal closed her locker and began walking away and once she was out of range, Carly looked down to see what had dropped and that's when her eyes landed on a familiar looking ruby and diamond Star of David pendant, "oh my God!" She gasped, quickly putting her foot over the charm so no one saw it while she dug in her bag for something it put it in.

Glancing in the direction Crystal had gone, she didn't see her, she quickly grabbed a blank sheet of paper, folded it into a small envelope and bent over, set the paper on the floor and used her foot to kick the pendant into it; she'd seen enough crime shows to know she shouldn't touch it herself, and once the charm was safely in the envelope, she stuffed it into her pocket and finished at her locker quickly, looking to see if Noah or his bodyguards were around. Not seeing them, she knew where they would be, so she went the opposite direction Crystal had gone and saw Noah and the two men standing with some of the other Glee members, "hey Noah, could I talk to you for a second?" She asked calmly.

"Yeah, of course, Carly, what's up?" Noah replied, looking at her.

"Actually, you, Tim and Alex, and hopefully in private," she murmured.

Noah glanced at the guys and then moved outside to a quiet corner of a courtyard, knowing they were right behind him and when they stopped he looked at her, "alright, Carly, what's going on?"

"Okay, so as you know, Crystal and I have not spoken for like a week. We had a falling out and I told you what she had been saying and how it pissed me off, right?" She asked.

"Yes, you told me," Noah nodded, "she thought Rachel was using me, which isn't true and you stuck up for us to her," he summarized, "what about it?"

"Well, when I was at my locker I heard something hit the floor and I thought I dropped something, at the same time Crystal was putting her keys into her bag. When she walked away, I looked down and something was shining up at me that looked familiar. I mean, well, I've seen it before, but there's no way Crystal should have it because well, she's not Jewish, and well, it's not even her birthstone," she mumbled. 

"Carly what are you talking about?" Noah asked with wide eyes, his stomach knotting up.

Carly pulled the paper envelope out and unfolded it enough so he could look inside, "this dropped from her keys when she put them into her bag," she bit her lip, "I swear I didn't know anything and I don't know how she got it, but unless she found one like it..."

"She couldn't have. I had this special ordered for her," Noah said quickly, his heart racing, and then turned to the guys, "call my dad," he told them, as he tapped the paper until the charm flipped over and he looked closely at it, then gasped, "this is Rachel's," he murmured, seeing a tiny 'N' and 'R' engraved into the back of it. He never told anyone about the initials before, but asked Oliver to put them on there somehow. He blinked his eyes and folded up the paper until the charm was sealed inside and looked at Alex who was on the phone with his dad, so then his eyes went to Tim, "could you go get Finn before he goes to class?" He asked softly.

Tim nodded, "yeah, sure," he replied, walking away quickly.

"What does this mean?" Carly asked.

Noah took a deep breath, "it means that Crystal either took this from Rachel or she knows who did," he said softly.

"I'm sorry, Noah. I should have known something was up with her," Carly wiped her eyes.

"Don't apologize, Carly. Don't blame yourself for not knowing. You didn't, but you did do the right thing by telling me," he replied, slipping the charm into his Letterman's jacket.

She nodded, jumping slightly when the doors opened and Tim returned with Finn.

"What's going on?" Finn asked concerned, seeing Carly wiping tears from her eyes and Noah not far from tears himself.

Carly told Finn what she'd told Noah, Tim and Alex and then Noah showed him the charm, and Alex finished the conversation on the phone and hung up, telling them Ethan wanted all of them to go to Figgins' office, so they walked to the office to wait for Ethan and the police.

When they all arrived in the principal's office, they told him that Ethan and the police were on the way, because they had some news about Rachel and it didn't take long for Ethan, Mike and a female officer, Allison, to arrive just after school officially started.

The large group went through what Carly had told them, starting out with her falling out with Crystal over Crystal's opinion on Rachel and her relationship with Noah. Carly also told them how she found the charm, which Noah added that was Rachel's because of the 'N' and 'R' he had on the back of it and he knew it was not a fluke, because he never told anyone about the initials and he also swore Carly had nothing to do with Rachel's kidnapping, even if she was friends with Crystal before.

"We believe you," Mike replied, looking at Carly.

"Thanks," she murmured, "I... If I had just... I should have known she was up to something."

"Don't beat yourself up about this, Carly," Ethan said, "you did the right thing."

She nodded, "what is going to happen now?" She asked softly.

"We're going to get her down here and speak with her," Mike said honestly, "we need to know what she knows."

"Do I... Do I have to be here?"

"No, you don't," Mike replied.

"How old is she?" Allison asked.

"Eighteen," Carly replied, "why?"

"She's a legal adult, so she doesn't need a child advocate or her parents to be present to be questioned," Ethan replied looking at them, "I don't think you guys should be here, either," he added, looking at Noah and Finn.

"But dad," Noah started.

"No, Noah, you need to go to class," he told him, as the bell rang to end first period, "go to second period, guys."

Carly and Finn were the first up and already out the door, "find her," Noah begged as he reluctantly left with Tim right behind him, while Alex stayed behind, since he was a former cop and familiar with the law.

...

Principal Figgins found out what class she had next and the officers and adults in his office spoke for a few moments until classes began and then walked down to her class, Spanish, and as they reached Will's room, Alex, Ethan, Allison and Mike stood away from the door and Principal Figgins stepped into the classroom, "I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. Schue, but may I please speak with Ms. Crystal Sanchez?" He asked.

"Sure," Will motioned to the middle of the room where Crystal sat and calmly gathered her things, stood up and walked towards the front of the classroom, "is there something going on, Principal Figgins?" She asked as they moved towards the door and into the hallway.

"There are some police officers here that would like to ask you some questions," he replied, motioning to Alex and Mike by the door, and noticed Ethan and Allison were gone.

Crystal's eyes widened and dropped her bag, taking off in the opposite direction, down to the end of the hallway to the doors outside.

"Crystal, stop!" Mike yelled, but didn't bother chasing after her, because Ethan expected her to run, so he and Allison went to wait outside the exit doors.

Just as Crystal pushed the doors open, Ethan and Allison stepped into her path, startling her, "Crystal Sanchez, I presume," Allison commented, grabbing her and holding her against the wall, "Officer Puckerman, did you know that most of the time, when someone runs, it means they're trying to hide something?" She asked him calmly.

"I did know that," Ethan nodded, "Crystal, is there something you're trying to hide?"

Crystal looked at him, "no," she shook her head.

"Come on," Allison said, guiding her with her hand on her shoulder as they moved into the hallway and met Alex, Mike and Principal Figgins.

"Principal Figgins, could we please use your office to speak to Ms. Sanchez?" Mike asked.

"Yes, of course," he replied calmly.

Allison picked up Crystal's dropped bag and the group walked up to the offices and once inside, Figgins sat at his desk, while Ethan and Alex sat on the couch, Crystal and Allison sat in chairs by the desk and Mike stood, "you are Crystal Sanchez, correct?" He started.

"Yes, I am," Crystal nodded. "_Just stay calm,_" she thought to herself, doing her best to keep her breathing at a normal pace.

"Are you aware that a fellow classmate, Rachel Berry, was abducted?" Mike continued.

She shrugged, "yeah, someone took her. So what?"

"Do you know who her boyfriend is?"

"Yeah, who doesn't? It's Puck."

"By 'Puck', you mean Noah Puckerman, correct?" Mike asked her.

"Sure, but I know him as Puck," she replied.

"Were you aware that he gave his girlfriend a necklace as a gift?"

"No, I didn't know that."

He nodded, "well, that's funny, because I had several people confirm that you did know that," he told her, pulling an official evidence bag out of his pocket and held it up to her, "it looked like this."

Her eyes widened, seeing the necklace, "_oh no! That must have fallen off my keys!_" She thought to herself, "I've never seen that before," she told them.

"So you have no idea how it fell off your keys this morning?"

"No, I don't. I don't know where that came from," she replied.

"So you're telling me, that the witness I have that assured me this fell off your keys this morning, is lying to me?"

"Yeah, they are."

Mike sighed and leaned against Figgins' desk, "look, this witness assured me that this fell off your keys this morning when you were putting your keys into your bag and Noah has already confirmed that this is the pendant that he gave Rachel, so if you know anything about where Rachel has been taken or who took her, now is the time to tell us. It's been a week and the longer she's missing the chances for her being alive when we do find her is getting smaller, so please help us," Mike tried, making it sound like she could help them.

"Why would I help you find her? I don't like that little stuck up bitch. Puck is better off without her, anyway," Crystal rolled her eyes and stood up, "I have classes to get to."

"Sit down, Ms. Sanchez," Figgins hissed from his desk.

Crystal looked at him and slowly sat back down, "what is the point of this?" She asked.

Ethan stood up and looked at Mike, offering him a chance to ask her some questions and Mike nodded, so Ethan looked at Crystal, "Crystal, are you Jewish?" He asked.

"No," she replied.

"Then why did you have a Jewish pendant on your keys?" He asked her.

"It's a free country!" She snapped and then her eyes widened.

Mike shook his head, not realizing he could have tried that.

"How did you get it?" Ethan asked calmly, trying not to sound excited that he made her slip.

She was silent for a long time, trying to weigh her options, "I bought it."

Ethan nodded, "where did you buy it?"

"Kay Jewelers, in the mall," she replied, spitting out the name of the first jewelry store she could think of.

Ethan smirked, looked at Mike and then back at Crystal, "now see, I know you're lying, because my son ordered it from a jewelry store in New York City, and had it made for his girlfriend with her birthstone, the ruby, and diamonds and until today, I didn't know the extra detail, but on the back, there are two letters an 'N' and an 'R' and those happen to be on this one, so there is no way you bought it," he told her honestly and he watched her face fall, "so Crystal, you either know someone who took Rachel or you took Rachel. Which one is it?"

"I don't feel like talking anymore," she replied, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"That's fine, but maybe a trip downtown will change your mind," Mike said, motioning to Allison.

"You can't do that!" Crystal exclaimed as Allison stood up. "Principal Figgins!"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Sanchez, but you are eighteen. You are an adult. There is nothing I can do, but I suggest if you know anything about where Ms. Berry is, that you will tell the police so she can be found," he told her.

Crystal stood up and as her arms were pulled behind her back, she bit her lip, "what are the charges?" She asked.

"Possession of stolen property and withholding information in a criminal investigation for starters," Mike replied.

As the metal wrapped around her wrists, she held strong. "_I'm not talking,_" she thought.

"_You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you? (1)_"

She sighed, "yeah whatever."

...

When Noah, Mike, Tim and Carly walked from their second period English class to their lockers, they saw Ethan and Alex standing by their lockers and Noah walked quickly to them, "well? Where is she? Did you talk to her?"

"It took some asking, but she finally admitted that she had the charm, but refused to talk anymore, so they arrested her and took her to the police station, where they'll continue to interrogate her. We don't know anything more yet," Ethan said, "but we'll find out."

"Can I talk to her?" Noah asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Noah. She's really stubborn and I think you'd get too emotional talking to her to really get anything out of her," Ethan admitted, "but we're going to find Rachel, I promise you that."

Noah nodded, "so what? I'm just supposed to stay here and wonder?"

Ethan held up a piece of paper, a permission slip to leave school, "no, you can leave. I'm going to go to the station and meet them and maybe you could go to the hospital to tell David and your mom and then either stop by Alan's office or call him when you tell David and Deb. It's not a lot of news, but it's something," he explained.

Noah nodded, "yeah, I can do that," he smiled, looking at Carly, "you going to be okay?" He asked her.

"I will be," she nodded, "it's a lot to take in, but if this means finding Rachel, then yeah, I'm gonna be okay," she smiled.

Noah had told Mike during class what had happened, so he asked him to fill the rest of the club in at lunch, so they knew why he wasn't going to be there the rest of the day, or in Glee after school and it wasn't long before he and his bodyguards were on their way.

...

When Noah, Tim and Alex arrived at the hospital, they went right up to the floor Noah knew his mom and David worked on and as he walked towards the nurses' station, he saw his mom walking towards it also, "hey mom!"

"Noah! Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" She asked, surprised to see him.

He grinned, "well, just thought we'd come pass on some awesome news," he commented.

Deborah's eyes widened, "did they find Rachel?" She asked quietly.

"Sadly, no, but well, can we talk to David, too?" He asked hopeful.

"Yeah, he's in his office, so come on," she replied, motioning down the hallway.

Noah and the guys followed her, and after knocking and him letting them in, the four of them moved inside and Deborah closed the door behind them.

"Noah, Tim, Alex, is everything alright?" David asked concerned, standing up and moving around his desk.

"Yeah, um, is there anyway we could call Alan on speakerphone, so he can hear this to?" Noah smiled.

David looked at him and then moved around his desk and dialed Alan's office number and after a few moments, Alan was on speakerphone.

"Okay, so what's going on, Noah?" Deborah asked.

Trying not to get emotional, Noah explained the events of the past few days, leading up to why they were there, "so it's news. It's not much, but it's something," Noah finished wiping his eyes.

"It's more than we knew yesterday," David admitted, taking a deep breath, "I just hope she's... I hope this Crystal girl tells them more, because we want our daughter back," he added.

"I want her back, too," Noah nodded, "I miss her so much."

...

Rachel groaned feeling a heavy cloud over her as she came out of the drug haze, "_why did she give me more of those drugs?_" She thought, her body shivering in the damp cold. Reaching to pull the blanket over her, she realized her hands were no longer bound together, "_what happened?_"

Her eyes flew open and realized her surroundings were different, "_I'm outside!_" She gasped, looking around as her senses began to wake up from the drugs. Pushing herself up to a sitting position and trying to stay calm, she was even more scared now than she had been, "oh no," she choked out a sob, "_she gave me the drugs so I wouldn't fight her when she brought me here,_" she shivered and looked around, rubbing her hands over her arms, trying to warm up, "it's so cold," she murmured looking around, trying to get her bearings.

Seeing the pizza box, a few packs of crackers and the water, she grabbed one of the bottles of water and found it slushy from the cold, "_it must be just above freezing out,_" she sobbed, "_why did you do this to me, Crystal?_"

Taking a deep breath, she ate some pizza and crackers and drank one of her bottles of water, knowing she needed to keep her strength up and was thankful that Crystal had left her some food, but knew it wouldn't last long. "_Okay, what do I do?_" She thought, looking around, "_I don't even know where to start._" She choked back another sob and tried to breathe, "_Rachel! Now is not the time to panic. You have to find help, but what if I have to be out here over night?_" She bit her lip, "_I have to find some shelter,_" she thought, carefully standing up. "_You've watched 'Survivor' before, what did they do?_"

Gathering up the blankets, the water and pizza, she walked down towards the river, hoping to find a sign of civilization along either shore, but all she saw was trees. Turning back around, she studied her surroundings and noticed a narrow rocky shoreline and a thick area of trees and shrubbery not too far from where she was left, so she walked towards it and as she pushed through the thick bushes, she found a dry area that seemed to be covered from rain and set her things down. "_You've gotta find help, Rachel,_" she thought, "_but I also need someplace safe, in case I have to be out her during the night... No! You're not staying out her tonight. You have to find help,_" she told herself.

...

Ethan and Mike stood outside the mirrored window, looking into the interrogation room of the Lima Police Department, watching Allison and Crystal sit across from each other at the table, neither saying a word. Allison had been trying to get something out of her, more than what they already knew, but Crystal was still not talking.

Everyone knew she was hiding something, but no one knew how to get anything out of her, "I don't get this kid. I've never known anyone to be this tight lipped about anything," Mike murmured to Ethan.

"Yeah, I know," Ethan nodded, "but there's something we're missing. Something has triggered her to act like this. When did Figgins say she started at McKinley?"

Mike pulled his notebook out and looked at it, "September 2008."

"That's the same year Noah started at McKinley, too," Ethan commented crossing his arms over his chest as he thought, "and they're in the same grade, but she was held back a year. Maybe..." Ethan looked at Mike, "when a girl and a guy break up, and the guy starts seeing someone new, what does the ex do?"

Mike looked at Crystal and then Ethan, "she may get back at the guy or girl, but Noah never dated Crystal," Mike told him.

"I know, but think about it. If one of my kids were held back a year and they had to go to a new school, they'd be pissed and upset, but as a parent, I'd tell them something along the lines of 'everything happens for a reason'. What if Crystal got in her mind that the reason she was held back and started at a new school was to meet and be with Noah?" Ethan asked, "then when he left after football season, she would have felt heartbroken, then when he does come back, he's got a new girlfriend. Granted this is a stretch, but it could explain some things."

"Yeah, it's a stretch alright, but it's one I'm willing to try if it means finding Rachel," Mike commented, "you want to come in, or stay here?"

"I'll stay. I don't think I should be in there," he admitted.

Mike nodded and moved out of the room and into the other one, taking a seat next to Allison, "hey Crystal, how are you doing? Do you need anything?" He asked her.

"No," she shook her head and continued to study the table, keeping her eyes off the cops.

"Good, alright, well, I hear that you started school at McKinley the same time that Noah Puckerman did," Mike started, "that must have been pretty cool. He starts there the same time you do."

Crystal smiled, "it was amazing!" She smiled, looking up for the first time.

Mike studied her for a moment and saw a sparkle in her eye that hadn't been there before and he realized Ethan was right, "how long have you been a fan of Puck?"

"Since his first single came out," she admitted.

"He does have some good music," Allison agreed.

"Good music? Try the best music, lady," Crystal retorted.

At Crystal's response, Allison got the hint at what Mike was getting at, but kept her mouth shut, letting him continue on.

"Have you ever had any classes with him?" Mike asked.

Crystal sighed, "no. I haven't been that lucky, but I still see him at lunch and at my locker, because his is right across the hall."

"I bet since you didn't get much time with him, you always wanted to talk to him, huh?" Allison asked, playing along.

"Yeah, but I didn't know what to say, so I never said anything," Crystal replied with a shrug.

"It probably upset you when he left your first year at McKinley, you know, when he had to go back into the studio and everything," Mike told her.

Crystal nodded, "yeah, it hurt. I had been building up the courage to talk to him and he just left. I felt like crap, but when I heard he was coming back to school this year, I knew it was my year to finally talk to him and tell him how much I loved him."

"You love him?" Allison questioned and at her nod, she asked another question, "I bet it really upset you when he and Rachel started going out."

"Of course it did! He comes back to school and he just starts dating her. He didn't even give me a chance!" She huffed, "so I just kept an eye on them and hoped they'd break up and now that she's gone, I've got my chance."

"She's not gone, she's missing," Mike said, "unless you know something you're not telling us," he added, looking at her.

Crystal sat back in her chair and shook her head, "I'm not telling you where I took her!" Crystal snapped and as soon as the words left her mouth, she gasped and her hands flew to her mouth, "I didn't say that!"

Mike and Allison both jumped up, looking in the mirrored window for a moment before turning back around to Crystal, "yes you did, Crystal. Where is Rachel?"

"I'm not telling you where that spoiled little brat is! She's just using Puck for his money. She doesn't deserve him. He deserves someone who truly loves him, like me," she said, turning from the table and crossing her arms over her chest so she wasn't looking at them.

"Crystal! Do you realize you just admitted to kidnapping Rachel?"

"So what? You can't prove anything and I'm not telling you where she is," Crystal retorted.

Mike put his hands on the table and looked at her, "whether you're in love with Noah or not, you just admitted to a felony in the first degree! Do you know what that means?" Mike asked, anger seeping through his voice, and at her turning her head to look at him, he continued, "that means up to ten years in state prison for your little stunt. Ten years. No school, no family, no friends, just a six-by-nine-foot cell, all by yourself and I bet I know what the worst part will be for you," he smirked, "you'll never get a chance with him," he hissed, getting up and motioning for Allison to follow him as they both left the room and another officer stood outside as a guard. Mike and Allison moved into the viewing room, where Ethan and a few other officers were. "You called it, Puckerman," Mike sighed.

Ethan was leaning against the glass, unable to look at Crystal anymore, as he held his head in his hands, shaking his head, "I can't believe this. How she could say that and think she's right. I was just guessing. I mean, I thought there was a chance, but I didn't really think it'd work," he looked up at them.

"It was a good idea, Ethan. You went with your gut and it worked," Mike said resting his hand on his shoulder, and then looked at their boss and the others, "this isn't the most normal way of interrogation, but she's not going to talk to us anymore, but I think I know who she would talk to," he said softly.

"No! That's not happening," Ethan shook his head, "he'll be devastated at this. He'll be in no shape to talk to her and I don't want him even near her!"

"I know, and if I was in your shoes, I'd feel the same way, Ethan, but he may be our only shot at finding Rachel. We already have her admitting to taking Rachel, so all we need is a location. You, Noah, Allison and I can go in there, so he won't be alone. Come on, please, Ethan. It's worth a shot. You can't hide this from Noah, and he's a tough kid. He's been through a lot and I know he wants her back, just as much as we all do and if there is anyway he can help, this is one of those ways," Mike told him honestly.

Ethan took a deep breath, contemplating his options, and realized what Mike was saying was true, and their boss agreed that if it was the only way, it was with it, "alright, give me some time to call him," he said softly.

...

Rachel had walked a good distance down the river's shore, hoping to find a road, a bridge, a house, a boat, anything to give a sign of home, but with no luck, she made her back the way she had come, glancing up to see the sun was dipping from directly overhead, so she knew it afternoon, but without a watch or anyway to tell an exact time, she at least knew what direction was west or east, but without knowing where she was, it did her no good.

Finding her little spot, she sat down and ate some more pizza, but this time, didn't drink her water, hoping to save it, but as thirst got to her, she cracked into it and took a few sips and soon the water was gone, "great! No more fresh water and I don't know if the river water is safe to drink and I don't have any way of boiling it." She sighed and wrapped herself up in the blanket and tried to get warm. Her walk gave her some exercise, but once she sat down, she began to cool off and she knew the later in the day it got, the cooler it would get, "please, someone find me," she begged, "I just wanna go home to my family, friends and my boyfriend, please," she sobbed.

Taking a few deep breaths, she slowly calmed down a little, "_just go splash some water on your face and cool off, but be careful,_" she thought, and stood up, walking out towards the water's edge, the tiny waves crashing softly against the rocks and she carefully found a spot where she could stand and reach for the water without getting into it.

As her hands broke the surface of the cool water, she cupped them together and splashed some water up on her face, immediately feeling refreshed, since she hadn't had a shower, or been able to clean herself up in a week.

"This feels good," she murmured, tugging up her sleeves and washing her arms and face a little more, watching the grime wash away and as she shifted her feet for a little more balance, she didn't realize the pebbles were wet, so when her rubber soled shoes hit the wet rocks, they slipped, causing her to fall face first into the cold water.

She screamed when she felt herself fall, but the angle and pressure she was at, she didn't have time to put both of her hands out completely to catch her and she landed with full force on her left wrist, feeling the snap echo through her body, "oh no!" She sobbed, unable to put pressure on her left hand at all, realizing something was broken.

...

Just after one-thirty, Noah, Taylor, Tim and Alex walked into the Lima Police Department and met Ethan and Mike in the front. Without a lot of explanation, the four signed in and once they got their visitor badges, they were taken to the interrogation room's viewing area and Noah gasped when he saw Crystal, "what's going on?"

"I take it that's the chick?" Taylor commented.

"Yes, it is," Ethan nodded, "um, well, Noah, we need your help."

"How? I thought you didn't want me talking to her," Noah said softly.

"Honestly, as your dad, I don't want you to, but as a cop, I think it may be the only way to get anymore out of her," Ethan replied.

"Anymore, what did she say?" Noah asked quickly.

Ethan glanced at Mike and between the two, explained how she wouldn't talk, until he thought it might have something to do with Noah, and as soon as 'Puck' was mentioned, she opened up and let slip that she wouldn't say where she left Rachel.

"Wait a second! She took Rachel?" Noah looked at them. "All this time, she's known where she is and has been at school acting like nothing happened?" He took a deep breath, fists balling at his sides.

"I'm afraid so, son," Ethan rested his hands on his son's shoulders, "and when she said that, she shut down. We think if you go in there, with Mike, Allison and I, that she might be more open to talk, especially to you."

"I'll do it," Noah commented, "if it means finding Rachel, I'll do it," he added, moving towards the door.

"Wait, Noah," Ethan moved towards him, "there's more."

Noah stared at his dad, "more? What is it?"

Ethan took a deep breath, "she doesn't like Rachel, so she may say things about her that are mean or try and suggest that you and Crystal should be together, but you have to put this all aside and know that what is in your heart is true, okay?"

"Nothing she says in there will make me change my mind. I love Rachel and no one can change that, but if I have to listen to those mean comments in order to find out where my girlfriend is, then I will. Finding Rachel is what is important and I can handle it," Noah assured him, "so let's do this."

"Okay," Ethan nodded, looking at the others in the room.

Mike, Allison, Ethan and Noah moved towards the door into the interrogation room and Mike stepped in first, followed by Allison, Ethan and Noah was last. Mike and Ethan took seats across from Crystal, who was still turned away from door, and Allison stood next to her and Noah stood behind his dad and Mike, but Crystal hadn't seen him yet, so he cleared his throat, "Crystal," Noah started.

At his voice, Crystal's head whipped towards him, "Puck!" She gasped, moving to stand up, but Allison's hand on her shoulder kept her down. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I came to talk to you. What are you doing?"

Crystal rolled her eyes, "they're standing in the way of our happiness," she commented, "you can't be happy with that slut. You need someone who really cares about you."

"Like you?" Noah wondered, his blood boiling at what she was saying.

"Puck, we could be so happy together, but she was standing in our way."

"No she's not," he said softly, "you never attempted to talk to me, so how could I know you were interested? And now? I'm not happy at all. Don't you want to see me happy?" He asked her.

She looked at him, "why are you not happy?"

"You took the girl I loved from me. Don't you see what you did made everything worse? I'm miserable. You did this to me."

"But you'll get over her," she tried.

"No I won't. I love her."

"She's using you! I'd never do that!"

"Crystal," Noah moved around the table and stood near her, "she is not using me. She has never asked me for anything except honesty and love. I gave that to her, along with that necklace and you stole it from her. I want my girlfriend back, Crystal, please, tell us where she is."

Crystal bit her lip, "she's brainwashed you!"

"No she hasn't. You're making me miserable by keeping my girlfriend from me. Please, where is she?" Noah begged, fighting his own emotions, "just tell us where she is."

"You really love her?" She asked softly.

"Yes, I do." Noah nodded.

"And you miss her?"

"More than anything, Crystal."

Crystal bit her lip and took a deep breath, "I.. I don't know where I left her... I..."

"You what, Crystal?" Noah tried.

"I found this building out off a road near a river. It was abandoned. I think the road starts with an 'S', but I don't know how to pronounce it," she murmured, "then this morning, I was so pissed that I drugged her, drove her down to the river and left her..."

"Left her where?" Noah exclaimed, his hand slamming down on the table.

"Just by the river on a blanket. It's not far from the building," she replied softly.

Noah's face fell, "it's the middle of winter! What the hell were you thinking?"

Crystal stared at him for a moment, "I wanted to get rid of her. I didn't think that you'd miss her," she admitted as Allison guided her to stand up, pulling her hands behind her back, "I'm so sorry, Puck."

Noah shook his head, "that's only my stage name," he hissed.

"Crystal Sanchez, you're under arrest for the kidnapping of Rachel Berry," Mike said calmly, naming off numerous other charges she was getting and then Allison led her out of the room, leaving Noah, Mike and Ethan.

"Rachel," Noah choked out, "we've gotta find her," he murmured, taking a deep breath as he wiped his eyes.

"Noah, I think you should go home and relax. You did great, but you need to leave this up to the police," Ethan said.

"No! I'm going with you guys! She's probably scared and cold and she needs to know I'm still there for her," he told his dad, "please?"

Ethan looked at Mike and Mike shrugged, "if he wants to go, he can. It's just a search and rescue, and it's gonna be dark in about two hours, so we've got a lot of ground to cover in that time."

...

Rachel's sweater had gotten wet when she fell into the water, so she took it off carefully and knew her wrist was broken, so she tore pieces of fabric off one of the thinner blankets she was sitting on and wrapped the pieces around her wrist to keep it still and made a sling. She was freezing, so she laid out the smaller blanket and then wrapped up in the heavier blanket, hoping to warm up, but with no luck, she closed her eyes, wanting to fall asleep.

She didn't know how long she laid there, but she thought she was dreaming when she heard cars nearby, because the engines stopped just after she heard them and tried to let her mind think of anything but the situation she was in. "_I just want to go home, I'm so cold!_" She thought, feeling her body shake from the cold.

Thinking she was drifting off to dream land, she tried to let the nature sounds soothe her mind and just as she was close to sleep, she heard her name being called, but immediately recognizing the voice, "_there's no way Noah would be out here. I must be dreaming,_" she thought, shivering into her blanket as her name was said again, followed by footsteps, which startled her, but she was so cold to jump, she only opened her eyes, immediately noticing it was darker out.

"Rachel! Come on, baby, stay with us," Noah begged.

Rachel felt hands on her and she focused more and saw him, "Noah?" She whispered.

"Yeah, baby, it's me," he choked out, smiling though the tears as he rested his warm hand on her cheek, "I'm right here."

"Noah," she smiled, reaching out with her good hand to take his, "you're really here?"

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "I'm really here," he promised, "there's nowhere else I'd rather be," he assured her, unzipping his jacket, "come on, let's sit you up so you can get my jacket on to help you warm up," he told her.

"Okay," she replied, using her good hand to sit up, and when he reached for her left hand to help her up, she flinched back, "I think it's broken," she murmured, shifting into a sitting position, which is when she saw Ethan, Tim and another guy she'd never met.

Noah took his jacket off and held it up so she could slip her arms into it carefully without the guys seeing her with no shirt on and once Noah zipped up the jacket, he pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back, "I've got you, baby, you're safe," he murmured, looking at his dad and the guys, all of them relieved to see she was okay.

Rachel began sobbing into his chest, clinging to him as relief washed over her, "oh Noah," she cried, "I was so scared."

"Me too, baby," Noah murmured, kissing her cool forehead, "but you're okay now."

She bit her lip and nodded, looking up at him and reached with her good hand and rested it against his cheek, "and you came for me."

"I did," he nodded, reaching up to wipe her eyes, "let's get you out of here."

"Please," she begged.

...

(1) ( en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Miranda_warning )

...

A/N4: What do you think? I hope you enjoyed! Review and let me know!

A/N5: Mom is cancer free! She doesn't need a hysterectomy like they first thought, so things are great! January is cervical cancer awareness month (the cervical cancer color is teal & white) and it's feels great to say she's cervical cancer free now! Thanks for all the support! Love you all!

...


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Noah helped Rachel stand and as soon as they were facing each other, she stepped to him and slipped her good arm around his waist, clinging to him. He put his arms around her, rubbing her back gently for a long moment, "you're okay," he whispered, "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," he promised.

She smiled weakly, "promise?"

"I promise," he said, "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too," she sobbed, "I knew you wouldn't fall for her," she choked out as she hugged him again.

Noah took a deep breath and pulled from their hug to look at her, resting one hand on her cheek, "hey, babe, look at me," he murmured and when she did, he smiled, "I love you and no one else. I've been miserable without and there is no one that could come between us, okay?"

Rachel smiled brightly through her tears and nodded, "okay," she replied, turning to see Ethan stepping over, "hi."

"Rachel," Ethan smiled carefully holding his arms out and when she walked into them and hugged him, he returned the gesture, "I'm so glad we found you," he murmured.

"Me too," she admitted, "can we go now?"

"Gladly," Noah replied, slipping his arm around her shoulders protectively, "are you okay to walk?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "just don't go too fast."

Slowly, with Ethan on one side of her and Noah on the other, the group began to walk back towards the command center and Ethan introduced Mike to her, so she didn't get scared around him as a stranger.

Rachel was keeping up and it didn't take long for them to arrive back, so Noah and Ethan guided Rachel over to the ambulance and helped her up on the stretcher, where EMTs began checking her over and one of them wrapped a blanket around her to help her stay warm.

"What happened to your wrist?" An EMTs asked, carefully looking it over.

She sighed, "I was washing my hands and arms off in the river and I didn't realize my shoes got on the wet rocks and I slipped. I landed completely on this wrist and I knew it was broken as soon as I felt the crack all the way through my body," she murmured, tears falling from her eyes again.

Noah stayed right next to her and rubbed her knee gently, "it's okay," he smiled, "bones heal," he promised. "You're going to be fine."

The female EMT carefully wrapped it in a better split and got her to lay back, "your vitals are good. They're not great, but once we get you to the hospital and you warm up a little more you should be on your way to recovery," the woman promised her.

"I hope so," Rachel replied softly, then looked at her boyfriend, "will you come with me?"

Noah leaned over, kissing her lips, "of course. There is no place I'd rather be," he told her honestly.

She blushed, "thank you."

...

Both Ethan and Noah went in the ambulance with Rachel, while Tim followed behind in Ethan's SUV and it took about twenty minutes, but they finally arrived at the hospital and took Rachel inside.

"This isn't quite how I pictured meeting a colleague's daughter," Dr. Brad Stevens commented as he came in and started looking over Rachel, "I'm Doctor Brad Stevens."

"Hello," Rachel replied, smiling lightly, "I feel the same way," she agreed.

"Brad's cool. He's fixed me up several times," Noah commented with a smirk.

"Thankfully that was when he and Finn were kids. Since Noah became famous, both of them seem to have became less accident prone," Brad replied.

Rachel smiled; she'd been a little nervous around all the strange people, but once he introduced himself and Noah said that, she felt more relaxed with him, "I'm not a stranger to hospitals, but I've never had any broken bones or needed stitches," she explained.

"Just a lot of sprains," David said from the doorway.

"Daddy!" Rachel grinned brightly, sitting up a little more.

David walked in followed by Alan and Noah stepped aside as both guys greeted their daughter, the two relieved she was safe and once the hugs were over, David tried to keep the doctor out of him, to let Brad do his job, but he couldn't help seeing her hurt and wanting to do something.

"I was just going to ask Rachel if she was hurt anywhere else or just her wrist, because I'd like to send her down to the lab to get some x-rays," Brad commented to David, "you're welcome to take her down to the lab if you'd like. It'll give you guys a few moments to talk."

"We can do that," David nodded with a smile.

Brad nodded, "I'll call down to let them know you're coming," he said.

"Thanks," David moved towards the wheelchair.

"I can walk," she commented.

"That's okay," David told her, "you can ride."

With a sigh, Rachel shifted off the bed and into the wheelchair, "alright."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Noah asked.

"You can," Rachel nodded, "but it shouldn't be too long."

Noah nodded, "alright. I'll be here when you get back," he promised, leaning over and kissing her gently, "I love you," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you, too," she replied, reaching up and touching his hand with hers, "be back in a bit."

"Better be or I'll come looking for you," he smirked.

Rachel smiled, his words meaning so much to her. She turned her head to kiss his palm and then took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently, "I know you will," she replied.

Noah returned her smile and walked with the three Berrys out of the room and let go of her hand once they were in the hall. As the two dads walked their daughter down the hall, Noah felt arms wrap around him and knew right away that it was his mom, "we found her," he said softly, turning around to hug her.

"Yes you did," she nodded, "I'm so glad she's back," she added.

"Me too," Noah agreed holding her close, "I missed her so much."

"I know you did. We all did," she commented, resting a hand on his cheek, "and from what I hear, you should tell her that a lot."

Noah nodded, "yeah. I'll tell her every day and night if I need to; just to make sure she knows I'm serious."

"It's not like you make a habit of lying to her, right?" Taylor asked from nearby, but already knew the answer, "so she knows, but it doesn't hurt to reassure her that," Taylor bit his lip, "nevermind. You know what I mean," he said, not wanting to bring _it_ up.

"Yeah, I do. I can't believe she thought I'd just forget Rachel. That would never happen," Noah murmured, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey everyone, how's Rachel doing?" Mike asked as he arrived with Allison right behind him.

"So far so good," Noah replied, "she's down getting x-rays right now."

Allison shifted a bag on her shoulder and looked at them, "when she gets back, I need to take pictures of her before she gets cleaned up," she commented, "Deborah, would you come in with me?" She asked.

"Yes, of course," Deborah nodded, "she'll feel most comfortable with someone she knows," she added.

"Pictures of what?" Noah asked concerned.

"Any visible injuries she has that can be used in the case against Crystal," Mike commented. "She is evidence right now, or at least the injuries and things on her are."

Noah looked down, "but I've touched her," he commented.

"Yeah, but we're looking for bruises and cuts and scrapes. We already have solid evidence that Rachel was in that building and Crystal was holding her, but the bruises are proof that she was held against her will," Allison said.

"Anything to make sure she does time for this," Noah agreed, turning to see Rachel and her dads returning. Moving away from the group he met them in the middle of the hall and greeted her with a kiss, "hey babe."

"Hey," she smiled, "I missed you."

Noah returned her smile, "I missed you more, but I knew you were in good hands," he added, glancing at her dads.

Deborah stepped over and looked at Rachel, "hey Rachel, I'm so glad you're back," she said with a smile.

"Hey," Rachel smiled at her, "thank you and I'm glad to be back too. I want to go home," she added, glancing at Deborah, then her dads and Brad.

"We'll see," Brad said motioning back into the room, "got some blood work and things to do before we think about that," he admitted.

...

After Deborah and Allison got pictures of the bruising around Rachel's wrists and on her cheeks from where Crystal had slapped her a few times, they were done with the pictures. A lab tech came to get some blood samples and took the samples down to run the tests Brad ordered and the doctor showed them all the break in her wrist. It wasn't bad, but definitely needed a cast, but it was still pretty swollen, so Brad and David talked about options.

"I can't really cast it if it's still swollen, but I can't keep her overnight for just a broken wrist," Brad told him.

"That's if her blood work comes back normal," David added.

"You know, I'm right here," Rachel commented, waving at them with her good hand and feeling like they were ignoring her.

The two men looked at her, "we know that sweetheart," David said with a smirk.

"Can't you just wrap me up in a temporary cast that I can take off to shower when I get home, then I can come back tomorrow when the swelling has gone down?" Rachel asked, "I haven't had a shower in a week," she begged.

The doctors exchanged glances, "that could work," David admitted.

Brad thought for a moment and looked at her and David, "okay, I'll make you a deal," he started, sitting down on the stool by her. "If your blood work comes back clean and you have no sign of drugs of any kind in your system and the rest of your exam goes well, I'll let you go home with a temporary cast and you can come back tomorrow while I'm here and I'll put the real cast on. If not, then you're going to have to stay in the hospital until that stuff gets out of your system."

"What is the stuff she gave me?" She asked.

"It's a sedative that is commonly used to subdue extremely violent patients," he explained.

"Oh," Rachel bit her lip, "um," she paused and sighed, "alright, deal."

Noah squeezed her other hand, "you're okay," he murmured.

She nodded, "I just want to go home, shower, curl up in my bed and sleep," she told them, biting her lip.

"I know you do," Brad said resting his hand on her shoulder, "and I'll get you out of here as soon as I can, but I want to make sure we check everything. I don't want to miss something."

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded again, "I know you do. I feel fine. I'm a little cold, but you agreed that my temperature wasn't low enough to worry about and aside from being an emotional wreck and a broken wrist, I'm okay."

"Those are all good signs and like I said, if your blood work is normal, I'll let you go home," Brad promised.

"Okay," she nodded, leaning back in the bed a little, content in her boyfriend's sweatshirt still.

"I'm going to go check and see where the lab is with the test results," Brad said, standing up and leaving the room to give them some alone time.

Hearing someone clearing their throat, the couple looked up, "Taylor!" Rachel gasped, seeing him for the first time that day.

"Hey Rachel! Glad to see you're doing alright; all things considered," Taylor commented, moving towards them.

"Thank you," she smiled, "I didn't know you were here."

Taylor nodded, "yeah, been here for a few days," he admitted.

"And it means a lot that you came out here," Noah agreed.

"This is where I needed to be," he smiled.

With Alan, David, Noah and Taylor were in the room with Rachel, Deborah, Ethan, Mike and Allison joined them while they were waiting for Brad to come back.

"Rachel, I know we didn't get to talk earlier and the last week has been emotional, but I'm going to need to talk to you soon to get an official statement," Mike said reluctantly.

"I know," Rachel nodded, "but can it wait until tomorrow?"

"It can. I was going to offer that," Mike replied, "I understand you would like some time with your family, so we can come over tomorrow."

"Thank you," Rachel said in relief; she'd been through a lot and knew she'd have to tell the police her side of the story, but she just wanted to go home and relax for a short time without having to bring up all the emotions from the past week.

Mike and Allison excused themselves to return to work, promising to come over the next day and Brad came back in and handed some paperwork to David, "it looks good to me," he said, "so as long as her exam goes well, I think she can go home."

Rachel grinned brightly, "really?"

David smiled, "it looks like, but I'll be watching you like a hawk for a while to make sure."

"As long as I can go home, I'm fine with that," she said honestly.

...

Rachel's wrist was still swollen, so as promised, Brad gave her a temporary cast to wear, and after finishing up her exam, it wasn't long before the large group was on their way over to the Berry's house.

As soon as they began moving into the house, Rachel excused herself and went up to her room to shower, declining help, while the others found seats in the living room to relax.

While Rachel was busy, everyone else decided on Chinese take out, so they placed a large order to the restaurant they normally ordered from and when it arrived, they realized Rachel had been gone an awful long time, but the shower was off, so they knew she'd at least gotten out of the shower. "I'll go check on her," Noah said, heading upstairs before anyone could offer to go. Her door was closed, so he knocked, and after a few moments he heard her voice inviting him in, so he pushed the door open and stepped inside, leaving it open just a crack, before he looked towards the bed seeing her dressed and sitting in the middle, knees pulled up to her chest and forehead on her knees, "babe? What's wrong?" He quickly moved to her side and pulled her into his arms.

"I was so scared," she sobbed, the bottled up emotions she'd had for the past week finally breaking the surface, "I just did what she said because I didn't want to get hurt and tried not to talk back, but she still slapped me a few times and kept my hands cuffed together. Today was the first day in a week that my hands were free."

Noah rubbed her back and kissed her, his stomach knotting up at what she was telling him, but he was staying strong for her. Moving one of his hands down to take hers in his, he lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss against the bruise around her wrist, "I wish I could take away all your memories from this, but I can't. What I can do is promise you that you're safe now and I will do anything I can to make you feel safe and comfortable again. I still feel like this is all my fault. I feel terrible this happened to you."

Rachel's head whipped to look at him, "this is not your fault!" She said firmly through tears, "why in the world would you think that?"

"She wanted to be with me and because we were dating, she tried to get you out of the picture," he murmured.

"Noah," Rachel shook her head, "you had nothing to do with what happened. I do not blame you at all," she told him honestly, "so please don't think that."

"You really mean that?" He asked nervously.

"Yes," she nodded and turned to wrap her arms around him the best she could with the cast on her arm, "I know you'd never do anything like that to me," she assured him.

Noah relaxed and for the first time since everything happened, he stopped blaming himself, "alright," he whispered, holding her close to him.

"I admit as time went by, I was starting to give up hope on being found," she admitted softly, "but I knew you'd find me and seeing you there when I opened my eyes," she smiled, "that told me that what I knew in my heart was true; you loved me and wanted to be with me."

"I love you, baby, that will never change," he promised, looking into her eyes, "I would have done anything to find you," he added, resting his hand against her cheek and then ran it through her hair, "anything."

She nodded, "I know you would have," she replied, kissing his lips.

He smiled into the kiss and as they pulled apart, he looked at the clock, "there's Chinese food downstairs waiting for us," he murmured.

"Really?" She asked, realizing her stomach was telling her she was hungry.

"Yeah," Noah nodded, "I can bring some up if you'd like to stay up here," he explained.

"No, I'll come down," she replied, wiping her eyes, "I just... I just needed some time to relax. All the emotions are coming to the surface."

Noah kissed her and slid off the bed, holding his hand out for her, "I'm sure that will happen a lot, but don't breakdown alone. I'll be here to for you and so are your dads, my parents, Taylor, our friends, everyone," he added, wrapping his arms around her, once she stood up.

Rachel closed her eyes as she settled against his chest and nodded contently, "okay. Thank you."

"No thanks needed," he kissed her again and guided them towards the door, "that's what we're here for."

She smiled as she followed him out of her room and as they headed downstairs, she took a calming breath as the familiar surroundings helped her relax. When they walked into the kitchen, Rachel saw the containers scattered on the island from the restaurant, smelling the familiar spices and felt her stomach growl in response.

Noah heard the sound from her stomach and turned to look at her, his own stomach growling, but that was covered up with knots when he realized he didn't know just how often she was able to eat; if at all, "babe, are you... Did she..." He started, but was unable to finish a sentence.

Rachel stepped forwards and rested a hand on his cheek, "relax," she told him, "I'm okay. She just didn't let me eat much," she explained softly.

"Baby, I'm so sorry," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead, then handed her a plate from the island and got one for himself.

"Don't be sorry," she took a deep breath and began adding a variety of foods to her plate that she liked, "I'm just glad this isn't pizza," she added.

He smirked, "I saw the box by you," he admitted, "I take it that's what she gave you."

"Yeah," she nodded, setting the plate down on the counter, "I can't carry everything. Could you?"

Noah finished filling his plate and took hers, "yeah, no problem," he kissed her forehead and she grabbed drinks for them and moved into the living room where everyone was.

"I see you guys finally decided to join us," Taylor smirked.

Once Noah and Rachel sat down and he'd passed her plate to her, she blushed lightly, "sorry. I got a little emotional," she admitted.

"Everything okay now?" David asked concerned.

"Better," she replied, "I'd say I'm okay, but I'm far from it, but right now I'm good," she explained.

Noah leaned over and kissed her, "it's a start, babe."

She nodded, "yeah, a start," she agreed, smiling into his kiss.

...

While everyone sat and ate dinner, no one spoke of what happened to Rachel. They didn't want to upset her, or make her relive bad experiences, so they kept the chatting light and about halfway through, Noah's phone rang to Finn's ringtone, so he answered it, "hey bro."

"Hey, Noah. Taylor said you guys were going out to find Rachel. Did you?" He asked hopeful.

Noah smiled, "yeah, we did find her. Sorry I didn't call you sooner," he admitted.

"You found her? Awesome! It's okay that you didn't call. I understand, but I'm glad you guys found her. How is she?"

"She's got a broken wrist and is kind of emotional, but she'll be okay. She's home and safe and that's what is important. We can deal with the other stuff," he explained.

"Very true. How are you doing?" Finn asked softly.

Noah took a deep breath, "relieved," he said, "I'm just so glad she's home."

"I get ya. Me too. I take it you won't be at school tomorrow?"

"Not for a while. I leave in a week for the awards, so I'm going to have to get to school at some point next week to pick up homework for the time I missed," he explained. Rachel gasped next to him, having forgot about the awards and Noah heard her, so he looked at her and bit his lip, but didn't say anything to her at the moment.

"Alright. Well, I'll let everyone know that she's okay and keep us updated, alright? She's at home, right?" Finn replied.

"Yeah, she is," Noah nodded. "Mike gave her stuff back to her dads, but I don't know if they charged up her phone, so I'm sure by tomorrow she'll have her phone on so anyone can message her directly," he explained, "or calling me, is fine, too."

"Okay, man. I'll tell them. Take it easy and take care of her. I'll talk to you later," Finn replied.

"Alright, thanks," Noah smiled and the two ended their conversation and he put his phone away, "Finn is glad you're home and will pass the news on to everyone," he told her, kissing her cheek.

She nodded, "okay," she leaned against him, "I forgot about the awards," she said softly.

Noah put his arm around her shoulders, "you know I invited you to be my date, but if you don't want to go or can't, I understand," he told her, glancing over to her dads.

"I don't think it'd be a good idea to go," she said softly, "but I want to."

"Don't worry about it," he kissed her, "I understand. There are plenty of other awards shows. I do have to go, though."

"You better," she replied, "performing with Neil Diamond and the awards you're up for; you need to be there. It's a big deal," she told him.

"It is, but it'd be better if I could share it with my girlfriend," he added.

"I know, but I'll watch from home," she said, closing her eyes and relaxing against him.

"Rachel, sweetheart, you look exhausted. Why don't you go to bed?" Alan suggested.

She rubbed her face a little and nodded, "I think I will," she agreed, looking at her boyfriend, "would you stay the night?" She asked softly.

Taylor smirked from across the room, "his bag is in his SUV."

"What?" Rachel looked at Taylor and Noah confused.

"Dad let me go home early from school and I packed a bag in threw it in my SUV, so when we did find you, I could stay either at the hospital with you or here," he explained, kissing her, "so yes, I'll stay."

She smiled and nodded, "good," she moved to stand up, holding out her hand to him.

Noah stood and for a few moments, she hugged those there and waited for him boyfriend at the bottom of the stairs while he did the same thing.

Taylor gave Noah the keys to his SUV, saying he and the guys would catch a ride back to his place with his parents and then they'd come back over the next day, once Arin was dropped off at school, who was currently spending some time at her friend's house.

"I'm going to go grab my bag," Noah commented to his girlfriend, "I'll be up in a few."

"Okay," she nodded and kissed him before climbing the stairs.

Noah made a quick trip outside to get his duffel bag from his SUV and as he returned, he said 'goodnight' to everyone and headed up to Rachel's room and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He knew she saw him, so he silently dropped his bag on the floor and moved over to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her lovingly. "I've missed you so much," he whispered against her lips, his eyes locked on hers with one of his hands resting against her cheek.

"I've missed you, too," she agreed, slipping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"I don't know what the future holds, but I promise that I will do anything I can to be here for you; from holding you while you sleep, being a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk to, or to tell you 'I love you'. I'll be here. We're in this together, okay? You're not alone," he promised.

Tears fell from her eyes and she nodded, clinging to him as another wave of emotions burst through the surface, "thank you, Noah," she murmured, "I... I'm sorry," she pulled away a little to wipe her eyes, "I just have these... I'm just so emotional right now."

Noah kissed her forehead and brushed a hand along her cheek, "it's okay, baby. You have every right to be emotional. No one ever said you couldn't be," he said softly.

She took a deep breath and nodded again, letting her eyes drift closed, "yes, you're right," she agreed, hugging him once more, "could we get to bed? I... I want you to hold me," she whispered.

"Of course," he nodded, "let me change and I'll join you."

"Okay," she smiled and as he stepped over to his bag, she pulled the blankets back, kicked her slippers off and slid under the covers, "oh wow," she groaned, feeling her whole body sinking into the soft mattress and relaxing even more.

Noah glanced over, "comfortable?"

"Very," she agreed, watching him change shirts, kick off his shoes and lay his jeans on his bag before slipping under the covers with her, "and it's going to be even more comfortable now," she added, sliding closer to him as he got settled.

"I'm glad," he smiled, kissing her lips before wrapping his arms around her, "I'll be here all night."

"Good," she took a deep breath and let her eyes close.

Noah tugged the blankets up over them some more and let his head rest on her pillows, while she was securely curled up against him, with his arms around her, "I've got you," he promised. "Goodnight."

"I know you do. Goodnight," she murmured, shifting just slightly and kissed him gently, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied, "sleep well."

"That's my plan, but I'm not making any guarantees," she replied sadly.

He kissed her, "don't worry about it. Try and if you have a bad dream, I'll be here to reassure you that you're fine," he smiled, "okay?"

"Okay," she nodded and rested her head against his chest, knowing he was there and would continue to be, to help her through her recovery, along with their families and friends. "_I'm so glad to be home,_" she thought as she took slow calming breaths that slowly lulled her to sleep.

...

A/N4: Wow! I updated... I'm so sorry it's been over a month since I last did. I bet you guys thought I fell off the face of the Earth! So sorry! It's been a rough couple of months. The ankle sprain I had... Well, it's in both ankles (one is from when I was 12) and my doctors told me there is nothing they can do for it. It's something that will continue to happen as long as I work in a job where I'm on my feet for long periods of time, so at the end of January, just after I posted updates to all my fic, I quit my job. Since then, I've been looking for a new job, with no luck, working on crafts (I'm turning my hobby into a business), and well, I've been having a rough time staying focused on any one thing, so it's taken me a lot longer than I wanted to update anything. I'm so sorry! I was able to update 'Broken Road' and 'Returning Home' and I finally got to a point where I could update 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight'. Again, I am really sorry that it has been so long, and I promise that I will do better about updating again, sooner than a month.

...


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Rachel was hoping that her first night home would give her a chance to get a full night's sleep, but just a few hours after she drifted off in her boyfriend's arms, she woke crying when her mind flooded with the fears she had over the time she was being held by Crystal.

Noah, who hadn't even been to sleep yet, immediately pulled her closer to him and let her cry, not forcing her to speak right away and giving her a chance to calm down. He knew she just needed to relax, so he began whispering soft, loving words to her, which helped her calm down enough to get her back to sleep in his arms, and this time he followed her to sleep.

The two got a few more hours of sleep before Rachel woke again, this time she had a flashback of when Crystal first abducted her and at Noah's concerned look, she explained. "I had a flashback of when she first took me. It just happened so quick. One second I'm getting out of my car and the next she's got her arms around me. She was holding me down and I was screaming for help," her hand unconsciously went to the spot on her neck where she'd been stabbed with the needle, "and she drugged me. I kept screaming and trying to fight and nothing was working and no one was around and then everything went black," she murmured.

"The drugs kicked in?" Noah asked softly, resisting the urge to drive down to where Crystal is being held and give her a piece of his mind.

"Yeah. Next thing I remember, I'm waking up and my hands are cuffed in front of me and I can't really move from the blanket I'm laying on," she said with a sob, her fingers tracing over the bruise around her good wrist.

Noah took her good hand in his and lifted it to his lips, pressing a long, loving kiss to the warm skin of her wrist, "you're home now," he whispered, looking into her eyes.

At just that small gesture, Rachel felt sparks igniting all over her body, giving her a more intimate feeling with him, than she ever had before, "I am," she nodded, "all I wanted when she had me was to wake up and be home and now I am," she explained, taking a deep breath and then turned her hand around so she could lace their fingers together, "to feel your arms around me, to hear your voice, to see my dads, your family, our friends... So many things I wanted when she had me," she felt her jaw quiver as she spoke.

"You have them all now," he promised, letting go of her hand so he could wrap his arms around her again, "and so much more," he added.

She choked back a sob at his words and nodded, "I know, but I wish I didn't keep having these dreams and flashbacks," she told him.

Noah tugged the blankets back over them as he laid them down and kissed her lips, "they'll go away soon," he swore.

"How do you know? What if I always have them?" She shuddered at the thought.

"I know because I'm going to go home and get one of my dreamcatchers. I should have thought it before, but when I was packing, I didn't," he explained, "we'll hang it up above your bed and hopefully it'll help mellow out your dreams."

"What's a dreamcatcher?" Rachel asked curiously.

"It does what it's name says. It has a Native American origin. It's a round loop with twine-like rope woven into the center to make like a spider web and then it has tassels hanging down, usually with feathers hanging from them. The most common story I've heard is moms would make one to hang over their baby's crib so when the baby slept, if it had dreams, the bad ones would get tangled in the web and the good dreams would flow down to the baby by the feathers."

"Really?" She thought about it, "I've never heard of them before," she admitted, "do they work?"

He smirked a little, "yeah they do, but that's because I believe they do. When I have one hanging up I don't dream and if I do, they're usually okay or good ones. I don't have super gory or upsetting ones anymore. I had a lot when I was a kid; dad being a cop and all."

"I'm willing to try anything," she murmured, clinging to him. "I can't seem to close my eyes without having problems, so I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep anymore."

"I understand, babe, I really do, but would you try?" He asked hopeful, "if you can't, it's okay, but I really think you can. You've been through a lot and need sleep to recharge," he told her and when she opened her mouth to say something, he kissed her, "I'm not going anywhere," he told her.

She smiled and blushed, nodding, "I'll try," she whispered.

...

When Rachel closed her eyes, she told herself that she was safe, home and in the comfort of her boyfriend, who loved her and he wasn't going anywhere. Willing herself to sleep, she drifted off. This time, she was able to sleep soundly for a while, until she heard a knock on her door, just before eight the next morning. Glancing at the door, she saw David peek inside, "I hate to wake up guys up, but Noah's parents and the guys are coming over in a little bit," he said softly, moving inside when he saw Rachel stirring, "sweetheart, how did you sleep?"

Rachel sat up a little, rubbing her eyes with her good hand, "I got sleep, but I had some issues. Two bad dreams really woke me up," she admitted, glancing at her boyfriend, who was also waking up.

David kissed her cheek, "did you talk to Noah about it?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I felt bad for waking him up, though," she added.

"Don't," Noah murmured, "it's what I'm here for," he told her truthfully.

Rachel was going to say something, but she stopped, blushing, "alright."

"We all are here for that," David told her, "so don't think it bothers us," he added, "why don't you guys get up soon, so when everyone gets here you're downstairs."

"Okay, daddy," Rachel nodded, "we'll be up in a bit."

...

Though the young couple didn't want to get up, they knew they needed to, so reluctantly they crawled out of bed and got ready for the day, making it downstairs to eat breakfast before Noah's family and friends got there. Once breakfast was over and everyone was at the house, David, Deborah and Noah went with Rachel to the hospital, while everyone else hung out at the house, since they wouldn't be gone too long.

Arriving at the hospital, they waited about twenty minutes for Brad to finish up with another patient and then he took them back to an exam room. While he checked out her wrist, they talked about how she was doing and he told her he was not surprised she had a hard time sleeping, but he promised it'd get better.

Now that the swelling was down in her wrist, there was no choice, but to get a cast on it, so she gave in, knowing for the next six to eight weeks she'd be wearing the baby blue colored cast.

It didn't take long to get the cast on and soon, Brad and David were discussing Rachel's release for school. Brad wrote up the release, saying she was physically ready to return to school, since she didn't have any classes that required heavy lifting on her wrist, but was leaving the time to return up to her fathers, who would be able to tell when she was mentally ready to go back.

Thanking Brad for what he'd done, they finished up at the hospital and headed back to the Berry's. During the trip, Rachel was snuggled against her boyfriend and when they got back in the house, Noah tugged out his Sharpie, one he carried with him everywhere, and made sure he was the first person to sign her cast. Taylor got in line to be the second one and Rachel smiled and thanked both of them, already feeling better about being stuck with the cast for a long time.

While they were gone, Ethan had found out when Mike and Allison were coming over, so before they arrived, everyone had lunch and once the officers got there, they sat down in the living room to get started, everyone promising to keep quiet to let Rachel be the one to speak, but were there if she needed them.

Rachel really didn't want to talk about everything that happened, but she knew she didn't have a choice, so while she held her boyfriends hand and knew everyone was there for support, she started out by talking about the text messaged she first received and moved onto what happened, all the way up to her being found in the woods. Having to go into details, Rachel got emotional, but with her boyfriend right next to her, holding her hand and trying not to blow a gasket at what Crystal had done and said to her, she remained calm enough to get through it.

When she told the officers her side of the story, they thanked her and turned off their voice recorder, using that to make sure they didn't forget anything when they wrote up her statement.

Since they were on the topic, Rachel asked how they found her and they explained that the phone used to text her was untraceable and there was no evidence left at the scene, except the needle used to give her the sedative, which was a generic syringe, so there was no real connection to Crystal from it. Rachel learned they had been running into walls until Carly saw Rachel's necklace drop out of Crystal's bag and went to find Noah. She learned that Crystal was questioned at school and then was taken to the police station where she was interrogated. They only got information from her when Noah was brought into the conversation, so they allowed him to talk to Crystal, which is when she finally gave up a vague location of where she'd left Rachel, and they immediately put together a search and rescue team and allowed Noah to be a part of team.

As the officers were leaving, they promised Rachel that Crystal was in jail and she would never be hurt by her again, which gave Rachel some relief and once they were gone, she crawled into her boyfriend's lap to snuggle closer to him. Noah could easily tell she was upset, so he wrapped his arms around her, "you're okay, baby. I've got you," he promised, rubbing her back gently.

"I know you do," she said, taking deep breaths to keep from crying. "_You can do this, Rachel. You're alright, just relax,_" she told herself.

David sat down next to them and rested his hand on Rachel's back, "we're all here for you, sweetheart," he told her honestly.

Rachel smiled, turning to look at him, "I know you are," she said, looking over at Alan, and the others, "it means a lot."

Taylor moved over to them and sat on the arm of the couch, next to Noah,, "I'm here for both of you, even if I have to leave tomorrow," he said softly.

"You do?" Rachel looked at him, "why?"

"I have to get back. I don't want to leave, but it'll give you and Noah some time alone," he told them.

"I really appreciate you coming, Taylor, it means a lot," Noah replied, "and I understand, but we don't need alone time. We want to be around our friends, so don't leave because you think we need that."

Taylor smiled, "alright, and I'm not. Tim and Alex are heading back to New York tomorrow, so they're going to take me to the airport and get me on my way back to Cali before they fly out," he explained, "we'll still talk and I'll field all our 'celebrity' friends so you don't get bombarded by a ton of people wanting to know how you're doing, but it's just time. I'm really glad you're home safe, Rachel, and I wish I could stay, but I have to get back."

"I understand," Rachel nodded, "come back, soon," she added.

"I will," he promised.

...

Before it got too late, Deborah suggested they all go back to the Puckerman's for dinner, giving Taylor, Tim and Alex time to pack before leaving the next day and so Noah and Rachel could still hang out with Taylor.

Leaving the Berry's, Noah, Rachel and Taylor went in Noah's SUV, Tim and Alex went with Alan and David in their car and Deborah and Ethan took Ethan's SUV, going to get Arin and to stop at the store.

"This sucks," Noah commented, reaching over to take her hand, but with her cast on she couldn't hold his hand.

"Yes it does," Rachel agreed, wrapping her fingers around his as best she could, but it really didn't work.

Taylor smirked from the back, "I'm sure you guys will figure something out," he said, leaning forward a little.

Rachel blushed, shifting a little and reaching her right hand over, taking Noah's hand, "we just like being close," she said softly.

"You don't have to explain," Taylor told her, "I get it, but I can still give you guys a hard time."

She giggled lightly and then leaned back with a smile, "I don't mind and it's nice to laugh again," she admitted.

"It's nice to see you smile again," Noah added, glancing at her when he came to a stop outside their gate, heading up the driveway once the gate opened, with Rachel's dads' SUV right behind them, "I missed that a lot. I just missed everything about you."

Her blush grew even more, "I missed you a lot, too."

Coming to a stop in front of the house, the three teens got out of Noah's SUV and along with her dads, Tim and Alex, they headed into the house. When Rachel took her jacket off and handed it to Noah to hang in the closet, the safe feeling she'd had at home continued there and she took a deep breath, "home, number two," she smiled.

Noah wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck, "I'm glad you feel that way, babe."

Rachel sunk back into his arms, relaxing contently against his chest, "me too."

...

The teens hung out in the living room until Noah's parents and sister got home. The boys helped put the groceries away, while Arin went to see Rachel and she was extremely happy to see that she was back, but felt bad that she had a broken wrist.

It didn't take long for dinner to get put together and afterward, Taylor, Noah and Rachel went up to Taylor's room while he packed and Rachel used her phone for the first time. She responded to the Gleeks, assuring them she was alright, but had a broken wrist and just needed some time to relax, which they all understood.

"Too bad you're not leaving Sunday," Rachel commented to Taylor.

"Why's that?" Taylor asked curiously.

"I was thinking that maybe tomorrow we could invite the Glee members over to celebrate my return home, so I can see them," she explained.

"Yeah, that is too bad, but I'll be back," he promised.

"That is true," she agreed, "but still. I'm sure everyone would love to see you."

Noah and Rachel were sitting on one of the beds in the room Taylor was using, normally Finn's room, and Taylor moved to sit down next to Rachel, "no offense to the club, because I really do like them all, but this trip wasn't about seeing everyone. It was to support my best friend while his girlfriend was missing and to make sure she was alright when she was rescued. We can hang out the next time I visit," he told her.

Rachel smiled, turning and wrapping her arms around him in a hug, "I get what you're saying and I really appreciate you being here. No offense taken," she replied.

Taylor returned her hug, "maybe when you guys go to Regionals, I'll come to cheer you on," he grinned.

"That would be great," she smiled and then her eyes widened, "Regionals!" She exclaimed, jumping up and beginning to pace back and forth, "what are we going to do? I have a cast on!" She held up her left hand, "it's not going to go with any of the costumes we've planned and I don't know how I'm going to be able to dance!"

The guys exchanged glances and Noah groaned, rubbing his forehead while Taylor began laughing at Rachel; he'd never seen one of her outbursts before and was getting a kick out of it, "babe, we'll figure it out."

"How?" She stopped, looking at them, "Taylor, it's not funny! This is serious! We've worked so hard on these songs and I've missed a week of practice and we only have a month left!"

Noah stood up and moved towards her, resting his hands on her shoulders, "babe, it's going to be alright. Your cast won't stop you from dancing. We may have to fix a few of our dance moves, but we've got plenty of time," he assured her.

"Are you... are you sure?" She asked, looking at him.

"I'm sure," he replied, kissing her forehead and wrapping his arms around her in a loving hug.

...

The evening continued quietly as the Puckerman's guests continued to pack and when Taylor was done, they moved into Noah's room while he threw some things into a bag, and then they all joined the adults in the living room. Since it was getting late, Noah suggested they get back to the Berry's to get ready for bed, so they said 'goodnight' to Arin, Deborah and Ethan, and 'goodbye' to Taylor, Tim and Alex. The three guys were leaving Lima at eight in the morning, so they probably wouldn't be up and over at the house before they left.

Getting back to the Berry's house, Noah and Rachel went up to her room and the first thing he did was to take the dreamcatcher out of his bag that he'd brought over from his room. "May I see it?" Rachel asked, stepping over to him.

"Sure," he handed it off to her, "it's one of several."

Rachel nodded, "yes, I noticed them, now that I knew what I was looking for," she admitted, looking over the large black leather covered ring and the web inside it, seeing the black leather strands hanging down, holding red beads that black feathers hung from, "it's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he said, kissing her lovingly, "you want me to put it up?"

"Yes, please," Rachel smiled, handing it back to him.

Noah moved towards her desk and got a push-pin from the drawer, kicked his shoes off and stepped up on her bed, hanging it on the wall above her pillows, "it doesn't have to be right over your heard, but it doesn't hurt," he commented, climbing down and moving towards her, "what do you think?"

Rachel studied the item, "it looks great," she said, leaning against him, "now I just hope it works."

"It will if you believe it will," he told her, kissing her forehead.

"I am willing to try anything to keep the nightmares like I had last night from repeating," she admitted, "I hated that and I also felt horrible that I woke you up."

"Seriously? You felt bad because of that? Don't," he commented honestly, moving his hands up to rest on her cheeks, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you and that means I want to be here for everything; the good and the bad. I want you to wake me up in the middle of the night when you have a bad dream; you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to, but I want to be able to hold you and tell you it's going to be alright, okay?" He looked at her, his hand brushing through her hair.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and nodded, taking a deep breath, "okay," she choked out, before burying her head in his chest, "but what about when we're not in the same bed?" She looked up at him, hoping he would get what she meant.

Noah kissed her forehead, "I'm only a phone call away, day or night. I'll have my cell with me as much as I can. Leaving and being apart is going to be tough, but we'll make it work."

"Should we... Do you think maybe... I don't really want to, but do you think that maybe in a few days we should sleep apart?" She asked softly, "I mean, I need to be close to you right now, but if we slept apart for a few nights before you leave, it would be preparing ourselves for when you do go."

"We could do that; spending the days together," he told her, realizing she was right.

"Yeah, after you get out of school," she replied.

"I'm not going to school, babe, I want to spend time with you," he said honestly.

"I want the same, but you've already missed a few days, right?" She asked softly and at his nod, she continued, "I'm not sure how long I'll be out and you shouldn't miss more school just because of me. I'm home, safe and sound and will be here when you get out of school. You're missing Thursday, Friday and Monday, so that's another three days you're missing, too."

"And Tuesday, possibly Wednesday," he added.

"What? Why?" She gasped.

He took a deep breath, "let's get comfortable, first, then I'll explain," he said.

She eyed him for a moment, but her bed was looking very inviting, so she agreed, stepping from him and after some time of them changing and trading spots in the bathroom, soon they were cuddling up under her blankets, "okay, explain."

Noah smirked, knowing she wouldn't let him wait too long to explain why he'd miss more school, "remember that really bad earthquake they had in Haiti not too long ago?"

"Yes, I do. It was horrible," she replied.

"Well, this year is also the twenty-fifth anniversary of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie recording 'We Are The World', so Lionel has rearranged it and they're inviting a ton of artists from all different generas of music to come together to record the song. It's going to be released right before the airing of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, Canada, in the middle of February and all the proceeds for the purchase of it will be donated to the relief efforts in Haiti. The day after the awards, is the day we're all getting together to record the song and they're expecting it to take all day, so we won't be able to leave that day. Dad is making arrangements for us to leave Tuesday, but depending on the time of day, because it's such a long flight, we might not get back until early Wednesday, so I could miss school on Wednesday, too."

"Wow, that's an amazing honor, Noah," she admitted, "when did this come up?"

He bit his lip, "while you were gone. They called and gave me a day to think on it and at first I wasn't going to, but like you said, it's an amazing honor and it doesn't happen that often, so I agreed to do it," he told her.

"I'm glad you did," she said, "do you know of anyone else who is going to be there?"

"Miley, Nick, Joe and Kevin," he commented, "I'm not sure of anyone else off the top of my head."

"It's okay," she replied, kissing his lips, "we'll find out soon."

Noah sunk into her bed a little more and pulled her into his arms, "we will," he agreed, kissing her again, "would you like to try out the dreamcatcher?"

She nodded, fighting back a yawn, "yes, I would," she replied.

"Okay," he reached and turned off the light next to her bed and then protectively wrapped his arms around her waist, "goodnight, baby, I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart," she kissed him on the lips and as she pulled from the kiss, she relaxed even more, "goodnight," she whispered, letting her eyes drift closed, hoping the dreamcatcher would do it's job.

Noah pulled the blankets up the rest of the way and rubbed her back gently for a moment as he felt the need for sleep draw him in and soon he was also drifting off to sleep.

...

When Rachel got to sleep, she didn't know what to expect, and after just a few hours, she began to dream of her experience, but this time her mind was allowing her to fight back, which was much better than the experience she had before. After some time in that dream, it felt as if someone changed the channel to romance, because she was curled up with her boyfriend on a blanket, on the beach, much like they had been when they filmed his video.

Noah woke around two in the morning to Rachel talking in her sleep, but it wasn't bad; she was saying 'I love you, Noah', which he didn't mind hearing at all. He was curious what her mind was playing for her, but also didn't want to wake her, so he kissed her forehead, whispered, "I love you, too, babe," to her and settled back in to get a few more hours of sleep.

...

Rolling onto her back, Rachel let her eyes drift open and saw the light shining through her window, realizing that she slept through the night. Turning her head, she saw that it was just after nine in the morning, "wow! I slept through the night," she said out loud, looking up to see the feathers of Noah's dreamcatcher. "Thank you," she smiled, reaching over to her boyfriend, but found he wasn't there. "Noah?" She sat up a little and looked around, hearing water running in her bathroom and realized he was in her shower, but just as she heard it, the sound disappeared and he came out of the bathroom moments later, a single towel wrapped around his waist, "good morning, Noah," she smiled, sitting up on her elbow.

Noah smiled and turned towards her, "morning, Rach. How did you sleep?" He asked, reaching out for his boxers and jeans.

"Great!" She replied, watching him, "no bad dreams. This time I was fighting back," she admitted.

"That's great," he replied, taking a seat on the bed, looking at her, "you were talking in her sleep," he added with a grin.

"Really?" She blushed, "what did I say?"

"You were telling some dude you loved him," he commented, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to tease her for a moment.

Her eyes widened, "oh no! Noah, I'm so sorry, I... I didn't mean it, you know I only love you," she said, moving towards him.

He leaned forward and met her halfway, kissing her lips, "you did mean it, so don't be sorry," he whispered and at her confused expression, he grinned, "you said you loved me."

"Noah!" She gasped, nudging him in the shoulder with her good hand, "that's not nice! Don't do that!" She held her hand against her chest, "you scared me."

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," he kissed her once more, "but your facial expressions were hilarious."

She pouted and crossed her arms, glaring at him, but couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips, "we were on the beach," she murmured.

He ran a hand through her hair and smiled, "really? I'd love to take you to the beach again."

"Me too," she admitted, leaning into his hand, "thank you for helping me sleep through the night," she told him softly.

"I didn't do much, unless you mean getting the dreamcatcher," he replied, "you were the one sleeping."

"I mean for finding the dreamcatcher. I know I slept, but you were the one to figure out a way to help keep some of the bad dreams away," she smiled.

"Then you're welcome," he said, standing up, "I'm going to get dressed. Do you want to shower and I'll go downstairs and make breakfast?"

"You make breakfast?" She raised a curious eyebrow, "you don't have to."

"I want to," he assured her.

"Alright," she nodded and shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, "it may take me a while. I have to wrap my cast," she said.

"Take as long as you need," he kissed her cheek, "let us know if you need help," he added.

"Thanks, I will," she replied, hoping she'd be able to manage alone, but was glad to have the offer of help.

Noah nodded and after getting dressed, he moved out of the bedroom and headed downstairs, finding her dads in the kitchen, "morning guys," he said.

"Good morning, Noah. Is Rachel still asleep?" Alan asked curiously.

He motioned upstairs, "she's taking a shower," he replied.

"How did you both sleep last night?" David wondered.

"Not bad. She slept through the night and I woke up once to hear her saying 'I love you, Noah' in her sleep, so the dreamcatcher I brought over worked wonders," he admitted.

"That's great to hear," David smiled, "I'm glad she was able to. Nights will be hard, but if that helps keep her from having bad dreams, then that's wonderful. She needs to be able to relax without worrying about closing her eyes and having flashbacks."

"Exactly. I know 'forgetting' about something isn't good, but if she can't sleep because of bad dreams, that's different," he commented.

"It is," Alan agreed, "are you two going to do anything today?" He asked.

Noah shrugged and began moving around the kitchen collecting things to start breakfast for him and Rachel, "we had talked about maybe having some of the Glee Club members over. Have you guys eaten?"

"Yes, we have. Just fix breakfast for you two," David replied, glancing at Alan with a grin.

Alan laughed lightly, but calmed down to respond to him, "having the kids over wouldn't be a problem."

"Really? Are you sure? I don't want to take over all of Rachel's time. You guys, I'm sure, want some alone time with her, too," he commented.

"We don't need 'alone time' with her, to see that she's home safe and to tell her we love her. Seeing her happy is what is important to us and she's happy with you. We'll be home this week, so we'll have all the time in the world to spend with her. Right now, she needs to be around her friends and family, who will be helping her through this whole ordeal," David explained.

Noah nodded, "yeah, you're right. I'll invite everyone over later," he commented.

"We can order pizza or something so no one has to cook, too," Alan replied.

"I don't want to see another pizza again," Rachel groaned, coming into the kitchen at the tail end of the conversation.

David and Alan exchanged confused looks, then turned to her, "why is that, sweetheart?" David asked.

"Because that's all Crystal brought me to eat," she said softly, moving to the coffee pot.

"Oh, Rachel," Alan got up and moved towards her, wrapping his arms around her, "I'm sorry. I forgot you mentioned that yesterday when you were talking to Mike and Allison."

Rachel nodded, returning his hug, "it's alright, but the last thing I even want to think about eating is pizza."

"I totally understand," Alan assured her.

"How about this?" Noah held out a plate with a nice looking vegetable omelet sitting on it.

"Noah! This looks wonderful," she smiled, taking the plate from him, "thank you."

"You're welcome, babe," Noah kissed her forehead.

She moved over to the island and took a seat across from David and Alan returned to his seat next to his husband, "Noah, you're beginning to know your way around our kitchen better than we do," he commented with a grin.

Noah smirked, plating his own omelet and after setting the pan aside to cool, he joined them at the island, sitting next to Rachel, "I hope that's alright. I'm usually not that forward, but I just feel at home here."

"It's quite alright," David assured him, "you're part of this family, too."

"Thanks," Noah smiled.

"You're welcome," Alan replied.

"So, Rachel, Noah mentioned you guys inviting the club members over today," David said to Rachel.

"Oh," Rachel glanced at Noah and then back to her dads, "yes. I did mention it. Is that alright?"

"Yes it is," David nodded.

"That's what we were talking about when you came downstairs. To save from someone having to cook we can get take out or grill burgers or something," Alan explained.

"That would be great," Rachel smiled.

"After breakfast I'll call everyone to see who can come over," Noah told her.

Rachel nodded, "alright, thanks."

...

Noah plopped down on the couch next to Rachel after he made his final call and kissed her, "how are you feeling?"

She laughed lightly, "I have a broken wrist. I'm not sick, sweetheart."

"Right, but you've been through a lot; you could be pissed at the world," he explained.

"I'm not pissed at anyone except Crystal," Rachel assured him, "did you get in touch with everyone?"

"Well, my parents and sister are coming over and it looks like it's Finn, Quinn, Matt, Mercedes, Kurt, Ryan, Artie, Tina and Mike, will be too. Quinn said she'd call Brittany and Santana, so I don't know if either of them are going to be over. I said about three. I was also going to invite Carly, but I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with that," he admitted.

"She practically saved my life, why wouldn't I be okay with her being here?" She asked curiously.

"Because at one time she was best friends with Crystal," he replied.

"Like I just told you a few moments ago, the only person I'm pissed at is Crystal. In fact, I'd really like to see her and thank her for what she did," Rachel told him honestly.

"Alright, I'll call and invite her," he said, pulling out his phone and looking up her number. "Why don't you talk to her?" he suggested, handing his phone over.

Rachel looked at him confused, but took his phone and hit the send button, listening to the rings and after the third one, she heard a female voice say 'hello', "hi! Is this Carly?" She asked.

"Yes, who's this?" Carly replied.

"Hey, Carly, it's Rachel, on Noah's phone," she admitted.

"Oh my God! Rachel! Are you okay? How are you doing? What's going on? Is everything alright?" Carly exclaimed, rattling off several questions.

Rachel blushed lightly, "I'm doing okay," she replied, "given what's gone on."

"That's great to hear! I'm so glad you're home. God, that must have been scary!"

"Yes, it was," Rachel agreed, "hey, Noah and I have a question for you."

"Really? What is it?"

"Some of our friends are coming over in a few hours and we were wondering if you'd like to join us. I haven't seen anyone other than Noah and our families since I got back and I'd really like to see everyone, since I don't think I'm going back to school this week," Rachel explained.

"Really? You want me to come over?"

"Yes, I do," Rachel replied, "please."

Carly was silent for a moment, "alright, sure, I'll come over. I'll have to get directions somehow, though."

"I can do that," Rachel said, "and in case your parents wonder, both my dads will be here," she added.

Rachel gave her directions and her cell phone number and when Carly assured her she had a good idea about where she lived, and promised to be over around three, she hung up the phone and handed it back to Noah, "she'll be here."

"Cool," Noah smiled, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He thought for a moment and then took her hand in his, "you know she's just a friend, right?"

"Yes," Rachel felt her stomach flip when he said that, "why are you bringing it up?"

"I never want you to doubt who I love. It's you and only you and I'd never do anything to be unfaithful to you," he swore, "it sounds like Crystal was trying to get you to think I'd just fall for anyone, once you were gone and that's not true. You were gone and we got to be friends, that's it. I don't want you to think for a second that anything else happened," he told her honestly, staring at her as he explained his thoughts.

Rachel let go of his hand and then pressed her palm against his cheek, "I believe you, Noah. I know you would never cheat on me, but I do appreciate you telling me. I trust you and I also have no problem with you being friends with a girl. I love you and I admit that the thought of you being close to another girl does make me jealous, but like I said, I trust you."

Noah pulled her into his arms, "I will never do anything to make you lose that trust in me," he promised, "I may get jealous and overprotective if you're friends with other guys, but I do trust you, too."

"Thank you," Rachel shifted, kissing him, "I'll always be faithful to you," she promised.

"Very good to know," he replied, kissing her again as her arms wrapped around her protectively.

...

You can see a picture of the specific dreamcatcher on the LJ post for this chapter, here: ( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com/ 45261 . html ). You can also see it and many others at the original page I found it at, here: ( jbnativeamerican . com / Drea,catchertNew7 . htm )

...

A/N4: Yay! An update! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I promise it won't be as long before the next update. I'm still jobless and have been working on about six different stories, my four WIPs and two new ones, that will be posted after 'Returning Home' and 'Broken Road' have been completed. I do apologize for the lack of updates. I'm trying to get a chapter ahead, so this doesn't happen again, and I'm getting there, so please bare with me. Updates to 'Broken Road' and 'Returning Home' are coming soon, too. I've also been dealing with some personal issues. I get kind of out of focus sometimes, so I think that's also why it's taken me so long to update, but I'm trying. Thanks for sticking with me in all this! Love you all!

A/N5: I didn't realize when I updated last, on 3/1/2011, that it was Starlight's first birthday, so happy belated birthday!

A/N6: My mom just had her first three month check-up and things look great! She's healing well and cancer free! Mom, my friend and I are going to CatchCon this weekend (the Deadliest Catch convention in Seattle), so I'm super excited for that.

Next up: Rachel continues to heal and Noah gets ready to go to California, and the couple get some alone time together.

...


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: Bare with me. This is a long chapter, but it's awesome, I promise!

...

Noah leaned back on the couch with his arms still wrapped around Rachel and smiled, "comfortable?"

She shifted just a little so she wasn't laying on her cast and nodded, "I am now," she agreed, resting her head on his chest. "When is everyone coming over?"

"About three," he murmured, "it's about eleven-thirty now," he added, figuring that's what she was going to ask next.

"Can we watch a movie?" She asked softly.

"If you want to," Noah nodded.

She sighed, "I actually don't know what to do. I'm not sick, so it just feels weird to be lounging around the house like I've got the flu," she admitted, sitting up and leaning back against the couch.

"Rach, you've been through a lot. I think you can take some time off to relax," he replied, sitting up and pulling her into his arms.

"Yeah, but I just missed so much," she sunk against him, "I don't even know were to start. Over a week of school and then another week or more of me being off? That's a lot of work to catch up on."

"I'm pretty sure your teachers will be lenient about what work you really need to make up," he murmured, holding her close, "besides, there is something more important we need to make up," he added.

"What?" She looked at him, completely confused at what he was talking about.

Noah smiled and kissed her lovingly, "this," he murmured against her lips, "and this," he tightened his arms around her, then leaned back, "and all the time we lost together."

"Oh Noah," she bit her lip and nodded in agreement, shifting so she was closer, "I want that so badly," she agreed, "but I feel selfish, too."

"Selfish, why?" Noah looked at her oddly, "where did that come from?"

"Ever since I've been home it's been what happened to me, how long it's going to take for me to heal, how long before I can do things... I wasn't the only one going through something horrible. You were, too. I don't know what I would have done if things had been reversed and you were the one taken," she murmured. "I'd like to know how you were feeling while I was gone."

He eyed her and nodded, "it was the worst week of my life," he admitted, "the cell phone she used was one of those prepaid ones that can't be traced and the cops didn't have any leads, so it was frustrating. I felt helpless, which made me more upset. I just wanted to be left alone, and everyone respected that. I spent a lot of time in the studio at home or in my room," he took a deep breath, "I tried to stay strong, but I couldn't hide how I was feeling, so for a while I wasn't the best person to be around. I was so scared I'd never see you again and everyone was just as worried, so they couldn't really assure me that things would be 'okay', because they didn't know either," he took another breath and calmed down, smiling, "after everything that happened, when I got to wrap my arms around you again and tell you 'I love you', all the fear and worry washed away and was replaced with relief," he explained, kissing her lovingly, "because I finally got my girlfriend back," he smiled, wiping her eyes when he saw tears fall, "I love you."

Rachel blushed, "I love you, too, Noah," she clung to him and was silent for a long moment before she spoke, "you were going through the same emotions I was."

"Yes, but for different reasons. Once you were back, most of my emotions disappeared; sure I'm still extremely mad at _her_ for what she did, but you're alive and right here with me, so I'm good. Now I can be strong for you, so you can heal, physically and emotionally, because a week ago, I was a mess and I don't think I could have been very supportive for anyone," he admitted softly, "so, don't worry about me or that everything is about 'you' because you're my favorite subject to study," he winked at her before kissing her again.

Smiling as their lips parted, Rachel looked at him, "you're crazy if you think I'm not going to worry about you. We're in this fifty-fifty, right?"

Noah nodded, "yeah, you're right. Fifty-fifty."

"So we're both going to worry about each other," she rested her head on his chest and tightened her grip on him, "hope you don't have any plans for moving. I wanna stay right like this," she added, letting her eyes drift closed.

"I'll stay here as long as you want me to," he promised.

"Good," she murmured, her body calling her to sleep.

Noah smiled as he watched her fall asleep, "I'm not going anywhere," he swore as his own body relaxed into sleep.

...

Noah's family had arrived around noon, finding Rachel and Noah asleep on the couch. The parents let them sleep, but they knew that their friends would be over, so they couldn't let them sleep too long. "They're so cute, I hate to wake them up," Deborah commented.

"But their friends will be here in about an hour," David added.

Reluctantly, Deborah knelt down next to them and rested her hand on Noah's shoulder, "Noah, wake up, sweetheart."

Hearing his mom's voice, Noah shifted and opened his eyes, "hey mom," he murmured, "what time is it?"

"About two," she replied, "Alan and David said everyone was coming over around three."

"Yeah," Noah nodded and turned to Rachel, kissing her forehead, "Rach, wake up, babe," he said softly and when she stirred, she continued doze, so he tried again, "come on, baby, wake up."

Slowly her eyes drifted open and Rachel saw him and their parents, "uh, hi. How long have we been asleep?"

"A couple of hours," David admitted.

"Sorry," she shifted so she was sitting on the couch, "I didn't mean to fall asleep, but I got comfortable and I guess I fell asleep."

"It's okay," Noah sat up, stretching his arms and back, "thanks for waking us up, though," he said, looking at their parents.

"You're welcome. Why don't you two go throw some water on your face to wake up before they get here," Ethan suggested.

"Yeah, good idea," Noah agreed, standing up and holding out his hand.

Rachel took his hand and nodded at their parents as the two walked up to her room. Doing as Ethan had suggested, they came back downstairs a bit later in clean clothes and were a lot more awake than they had been.

"That was definitely a nice nap," Noah admitted as he sat down in the kitchen.

"Yes it was," Rachel agreed, standing behind him and wrapping her good arm around his neck, "we should do that again sometime," she added, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Noah smiled and turned a little, "sounds good to me, babe. I'm up for it anytime."

"I'll let you know," she replied kissing his lips, just as the doorbell rang.

Alan went to answer the door and after a few moments they heard, "hi Alan! Where is she?"

Rachel blushed and straightened up as heavy footsteps came towards the kitchen and Quinn entered, "Rachel!" She exclaimed walking over and threw her arms around her. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Thanks, Quinn," Rachel murmured, returning her hug.

As the two girls pulled away, Rachel saw Finn, "hey, Finn."

"Hey Rachel," he stepped forward and hugged her, "welcome home."

Hugging him, Rachel smiled, "it feels really good to be home, too," she replied as they moved apart. As he did, she saw the third arrival, "you made it, Carly."

"I did. Thanks for the invite. Welcome back," she replied, hesitating on what to do next.

Rachel had been able to hold in her emotions as she hugged Quinn and Finn, but as she moved towards Carly and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug, she started crying, "if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here, so thank you so much for what you did."

Carly's arms went around Rachel, feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders and she nodded, fighting her own tears, "you're welcome," she replied softly, "I'm sorry you had to go through that," she added as they pulled away.

"You have no reason to be sorry; you had nothing to do with what she did," Rachel assured her, smiling lightly.

Noah got up and slipped an arm around Rachel's shoulders, "see, I told you, Carly."

Carly nodded, "yeah, you did. I should have believed you, but it was hard once I found out what she did."

"Let's not worry about that right now," Noah commented, "Rachel's home and that's what is important. We can deal with everything else later."

"You're right," Carly agreed, smiling, "so where's a Sharpie? I wanna sign your cast," she added, looking at Rachel.

Rachel laughed lightly and pulled a couple out of her pocket, "I just happen to have a few," she admitted holding up several colors including gold, pink, purple, light blue and silver.

...

With the arrival of their other friends, they all were glad to have Rachel home, but agreed that it wasn't the time to get emotional. They kept the mood light and celebrated her return, rather than dwell on the past, but Rachel did explain what happened to her and Noah added the details of what happened after Carly found Rachel's necklace. Rachel also asked them to keep what she said quiet; she didn't want many people to know exactly what happened and they promised to keep that information private.

Rachel mentioned that it'd probably be another week before she was back to school, so the teens agreed to keep her posted on what happened and assured her that the club would be fine to wait to practice once she got back.

Relaxing together, they spent the rest of the time talking about what had gone on while she had been gone, eating food and laughing, joking and teasing each other; keeping the atmosphere happy and entertaining.

After several hours together, slowly the teens began to leave and soon it was down to just Quinn, Finn, Carly and Rachel and Noah's families. The teens, except Rachel, helped the adults clean up from the guests and then the couple walked their friends to their cars.

"Thanks for coming over, you guys. I really needed that," Rachel smiled, hugging Carly, Quinn and Finn.

"We're glad to come over," Finn assured her.

Quinn nodded in agreement, "and sometime we should get you out of the house for a while. We could go to the mall or something," she added.

"We should," Rachel nodded, "soon. I know I need to get out, but I'm kind of," she bit her lip, "I just need some more time, that's all."

"No hurry, Rachel," Carly commented, "when you're ready, let us know."

"I will," Rachel smiled at them.

Quinn's cell phone rang, startling everyone, and it was her mom wanting her to come home for something, so Quin and Finn reluctantly said 'goodnight' to their friends and left, giving Carly a few minutes alone with Noah and Rachel. The moment alone made Carly slightly uncomfortable; she wanted to talk to Rachel, but wasn't sure how to bring up the topic.

It was easy to tell that Carly was nervous, and after the conversation Rachel and Noah had before they took their nap, she had a feeling she knew what was wrong, "Carly, I know that you and Noah are just friends," she said honestly.

"Whoa, way to shock someone, babe," Noah laughed lightly.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to dance around the subject. I can tell she's nervous and I'm pretty sure I know why, so I just came out and said it," Rachel commented, looking at Carly, "you seem nervous. Is that why?"

Carly blushed, "yes, it is," she nodded, "because of the reasons that Crystal did what she did, I just want you to know that I have no feelings towards Noah that are more than friends," she explained, "I promise."

"I know you're just friends and I trust you and Noah. I look forward to when you and I can be friends," Rachel said truthfully. "So you don't have to be nervous around us again, okay?"

"Okay," Carly smiled, "that means a lot and I look forward to the same thing."

"Great!" Rachel smiled and gave her a quick hug.

Carly relaxed a lot, "I feel a lot better," she said as they pulled apart, taking a deep breath. "It's getting pretty cold out. I should probably get going. You two must be freezing," she admitted, seeing they were not dressed to be out in the mid-January Ohio night.

"A little," Noah nodded in agreement.

"Be careful driving home. You have my number so feel free to call or text me any time. I won't be doing much this week," Rachel admitted with a laugh.

"Okay, I will," Carly nodded at them and after waving 'bye', she headed for her car and got in, starting it and driving away from the curb a few moments later.

"How about you and I go inside and warm up?" Noah suggested, turning to Rachel.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Rachel replied, linking her arm with his as they walked.

Noah smirked, let go of her arm, turned slightly and before Rachel realized what he was doing, he had one arm around her back and one under knees, successfully supporting her as he picked her up to carry her inside. "Noah," Rachel giggled, slipping her good arm around his neck as he moved through the doorway, "what was that for?"

"Just because I can," he grinned, carefully setting her back down on her feet.

Though the logical part of Rachel's mind was telling her that she was able to walk on her own, the rest of her was falling even more in love with him for the 'just because' gestures he did that made her melt, "I love you," she smiled, kissing him lovingly.

Letting their lips remain together for a few moments, when Noah did pull away he returned her smile and pressed his forehead to hers, "I love you, too, babe."

Rachel nodded and hugged him tightly, relaxing and taking everything from that day in. She'd had a wonderful afternoon hanging out with their friends and the colorful signatures and decorations she had on her cast reminded her that they'd all be there for her as she recovered physically and mentally from the ordeal she went through; making sure she never had a hard time dealing with what happened and she was thankful for all of that and for the support of her boyfriend and their families.

...

After an amazing Saturday with their friends and family, Rachel and Noah agreed to spend Sunday curled up on the Berry's couch watching movies. Over breakfast that morning, Noah asked Rachel and her dads if they would be up for a house guest while he was gone and when they asked him to clarify, he explained that since Rachel was not going and they still had an extra spot on the flight and for the awards, he wanted to invite his mom along, but he knew she wouldn't go unless they could find someplace for Arin to stay. All of them were welcoming of the idea and promised not to say anything until he talked to his parents.

Also over breakfast, Rachel brought up him going back to school. He didn't want to return Monday, because he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before he had to leave for LA, but at her persuasion, he finally agreed to return. He promised he'd come over right after school to spend the evenings there and then go home for the nights, because they had to get used to sleeping apart. Rachel was glad he agreed to go back. She knew he didn't want to go back until she did, but she wasn't sure when she'd feel comfortable going out in public, and she didn't want him to miss school just because of her. During their talk, he also promised to talk to her teachers about collecting homework for the time she missed so she could begin the process of making up almost two weeks of work.

Once breakfast was settled, the couple found seats on the couch, starting their first movie of the several they'd picked out, but just after it started, Noah got a call from Ethan. Ethan and Elliott, Noah's other manager, had been fielding calls from different magazines and news stations, looking for information about what happened to Rachel and now that she was home, they thought it was time 'Puck' released an official statement.

While Rachel was gone, Noah had stayed away from posting messages on his social networking sites. He did confirm that she had been taken, but didn't know any more details, so he only sent out a thanks for his fans' love and support. He did read fans' messages, but didn't respond, but now that she was home, he agreed the statement was a good idea, but Elliott wanted to release it Monday morning.

While they watched movies, Noah typed away on his laptop, writing and rewriting what he wanted to say, trying to keep it simple, and when he finished, he got Rachel and her dads' approval on it before he sent it to Ethan, letting him have the final say and the job of sending it to Elliott.

While Noah had been writing up the statement, he thought about his celebrity friends and was thankful that Taylor had been updating them about what was going on, because they understood Noah had other things going on and couldn't call everyone personally, but once the message was sent to his dad, he called Taylor to let him know they'd be releasing a statement the next morning and the three chatted for a bit and Taylor was happy to hear Rachel was slowly recovering.

Taylor couldn't talk long, so once he'd hung up, Rachel and Noah decided to call Nick and Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift. The four of them had met Rachel and were all sending messages to Taylor about Rachel's condition. Nick, Joe and Demi were on the set of 'Camp Rock 2' filming, so they were able to get the news all at once and were all very happy to hear that Rachel was home safe. After a brief conversation, they hung up and called Taylor Swift. The two girls spoke the longest and Taylor, like the others, was very glad Rachel was safe at home and when she talked to Noah, they agreed they'd see each other at the the following week.

While they were talking to her, a take-out delivery of Chinese had arrived at the house, so the couple ended their call with Taylor and went to gather up dinner and returned to the living room where they continued their movie marathon for the rest of the night.

...

Monday morning, when Noah woke up, Rachel got up with him and helped him gather his things for school. Having breakfast together, she walked him out to the porch and after a long hug and kiss, he reluctantly went to his SUV and headed off to school. Once at McKinley, Noah joined their friends like always and told them an official statement would be released that day along with what it included, so they promised they'd keep the truth to themselves and he thanked them for that.

Though Noah and Rachel normally hung out with their friends until classes began, Noah excused himself early to go talk to a few of her teachers about her make-up work, and they promised him they'd have some work gathered up for her by the end of the day, so Noah told them he'd stop in after school.

When classes started, Noah plowed through. Before his third period, he called to check on Rachel and she had just gotten up; she'd gone back to bed after he left and they talked for a bit before he had to change for gym class and he when he hung up, he tried to go focus on school, but his mind kept wandering to her.

At lunch, Mercedes, who had choir with Rachel, gave Noah the sheet music to the songs that they'd gotten while Rachel was gone. She also said that their teacher was sure Rachel would catch up quickly once she got back, so to not worry about making up any work. Noah thanked her for getting the music and information and stowed the sheet music in his bag for Rachel.

Heading off to Spanish after lunch, Noah talked to Will after class and he gave Noah a stack of make-up work for Rachel, telling him she could email him if she needed help. Will also added that Glee was canceled for the week, since he and Rachel wouldn't be there and gave Noah the work he'd miss while he was in LA.

Noah thanked Will for what he'd done and moved off to math, a class he and Rachel shared. Noah had been collecting and keeping track of the work she'd missed in their two shared classes at the end of the day, math and science, but he hadn't given the work to her or brought her books home yet, so he figured he would that day. He still spoke to the their teachers about what she'd missed and also what he'd miss while he was gone and they told him to come back the next day and they'd have what he was asking for ready.

After the last class of the day, Noah went to Rachel's classes to get the work her teachers packed up for her and then stopped at her locker to get all of her books, and like always, their friends met up and talked for a bit. Finn helped Noah carry Rachel's books to his locker, so Noah could switch out his own books and pack his bag. Once he had things gathered up, he took all of the books and headed out to his SUV and back to Rachel's house. Rachel was surprised that Noah brought back all of her books, but was glad to have something to do. She'd kept occupied that day by watching TV and spending time with her dads, who were home, but she missed going to school.

The couple spent a few hours together and after dinner, Noah packed up a lot of his stuff and though he hated to leave, Rachel had done well that day and he still needed to talk to his mom about going to the awards. He'd already talked to his dad about it, through emails on Sunday after the Berrys said they were willing to watch Arin for the time they were gone. Ethan was alright with it, but was letting Noah be the one to make the invite.

Needing to leave, the couple shared a long hug and kiss and he made her promise that if she had problems to call him and he'd answer, and once she assured him she'd call, he reluctantly left the Berry's.

Getting home, Noah found his parents in the living room watching TV, so he sat down with them and Noah brought up the topic of the awards. When he asked Deborah about going, she assured him she knew she wasn't 'second' to Rachel, even if things had worked out that way and when Noah added that Rachel and her dads were willing to let Arin stay there for the time they were away, Deborah agreed to go.

Happy with her answer, Noah went upstairs and began sorting things out, unpacking from his stay at Rachel's and gathering up things for the California trip. He called Rachel to let her know his mom agreed to go and they continued to talk until they got into bed.

...

Rachel and Noah were both running on little sleep Tuesday. Rachel had napped okay the day before, but going all night without her boyfriend was tough and she woke several times from odd dreams; not bad, but unusual. Noah couldn't stay comfortable and spent most of his night tossing and turning, so he finally gave in and got up around five, over an hour earlier than he normally woke up and when he got to McKinley, he didn't know if she would be up, but he tried anyway, and found that she was wide awake and they both admitted they didn't sleep well and hoped each night would be better, because he'd be gone for over a week and they would need sleep during that time.

Needing to get into school, since he had been out in the parking lot talking to her, Noah and Rachel ended their conversation and he continued into his locker.

The day was mostly uneventful, but he did have several people come up to him, who had heard about what happened to Rachel and asked how she was doing and hoped things were okay now. He told them she was doing alright and thanked them for the concern and hoped she would be back to school soon.

Noah called Rachel a few times to check on her and she was doing alright, beginning to work on her homework to catch up with her classes. He avoided telling her that it would be his last day until after he got back from California. He had things he wanted to do the next day, so his parents were letting him take Wednesday off.

After school Tuesday, Noah talked with his friends for a bit, but then had to say 'goodbye', because he wouldn't see them again until he got back from California. They wished him luck and hoped he would win the awards he was nominated for and then he headed off to one of his classrooms. He had to meet with one of his teachers because the class he had been taking first period, Ohio State History, would be over at the end of the week, with the end of the first semester and the following Monday a new semester would begin. Most of the classes taught at McKinley lasted all year, or two semesters, but some electives and other classes were only a semester or a half-year and Noah's history class was one of them. He already knew what he would be taking next; psychology. The class qualified as a history class, so he was able to use it towards the full year of history requirement for his Junior year. Luckily his history teacher was also teaching the psychology class, so he didn't have to meet a new teacher, but he did want to return his history book and discuss his final assignment for history, but his teacher waived it, since Noah already had an 'A' in the class. His teacher also gave him the psychology textbook along with what would be the first weeks assignments, so when he got back, he'd be caught up with the class.

Thanking his teacher, Noah gathered his books from his locker and left the school, heading for Rachel's house. He'd picked up the rest of her make-up work during the day, and also had gotten his work for the week he'd be gone and while he was at her place, he worked on some of his homework and Rachel realized he had all of his books with him, "do you have homework in all of your classes?" Rachel asked curiously.

"I kind of do," Noah admitted, "because today was my last day of school until I get back."

"What?" Rachel exclaimed, "I thought you weren't leaving until Thursday!"

"I'm not," Noah said moving closer to her and pulling her into his arms, "we are leaving Thursday, but I have to pack still and there are things I want to do tomorrow," he admitted.

"Oh, I thought you were going to school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," she replied, taking a deep breath to calm down from her almost panic attack.

"I know. That's what I wanted you to think, because I wanted to prepare for a special night with you before I leave," he explained.

"You have a special night planned?" She asked softly, looking up at him.

"I do. I was going to keep it a surprise, but now that you know I'm not going to school, I figure I'll tell you that much at least, but the rest you'll have to wait to find out," he winked, "just know we'll be at my place so you don't have to worry about going anywhere in public."

"Okay, so you were just going to pretend like you went to school, then call me when school was out and ask me to come over?" She asked curiously, turning in his arms to look at him.

Noah nodded, "yes that was exactly what I planned to do. After my sister gets out of school tomorrow, my parents are going to take her out for a few hours to spend some time with her before we leave, so after like three, we'll have the house to ourselves. I figured that I'd spend the morning doing homework and packing and then call you up and invite you over. I'll make dinner and then we can spend some time alone."

Rachel smiled, "that sounds wonderful, but you know I don't mind us being around our parents. Do you?" She asked.

"No, of course not," he shook his head, "just thought we could change it up, that's all."

"Oh alright," she nodded, "um, would you mind if maybe I came over earlier, say like noon or something? I'm sure you have a lot of stuff to do, but I haven't left here since Saturday, so I could use a change of scenery."

"You're more than welcome to come over anytime you want. I just have to pack and get some homework done. Just don't forget to ask your dads," he added.

"I won't, but I'm sure they'll be okay with that," she replied, "how come you're telling me all this now?" She asked, "when you weren't before."

Noah thought on what she asked before answering with, "given what happened, I'm not sure if just calling and asking you over and telling you I have a surprise would be a good idea," he admitted softly.

"If it was anyone else, yes, I could agree, but I trust you," she assured him, "if you asked me to come over, I would have."

"That really means a lot," he told her, holding her close, "and I promise you I'll never give you a reason to feel any other way."

...

After spending the evening together, Noah left Rachel's after dinner, so he could get home and try to start packing; at least that's what he told her. He wanted to put the finishing touches on her song.

Getting to bed that night, he slept better than he had Monday night, but it still wasn't great. Part of him liked that he couldn't sleep well without Rachel, but the other part of him knew that they were still teens and that really wasn't something two teenagers did until they were out of high school, so he hoped they'd be able to figure out something to get them through until graduation.

Just after seven Wednesday morning, Noah crawled out of bed and headed downstairs to find something for breakfast. His parents were surprised he was up that early, since he wasn't going to school, but he mentioned that Rachel was coming over around noon and he wanted to get going on some homework before she got there.

"Dad, how much free time am I going to have while we're in Cali?" Noah asked.

Ethan thought for a moment, "I guess that depends on what you want to do. Aside from rehearsals on Saturday for the awards and getting what we're going to wear to them, the only thing you've really got to do is spend Monday at the studio for the 'We Are The World' recording session. The rest you'll have free," Ethan replied, "why?"

"I've got enough homework to do that I'm not going to have time to do it all before we leave and I don't want to take it all along, so I have to do some here," he explained.

"I'm sure you'll have time, but I also think your teachers will understand if you don't have everything done the day you get back," Ethan told him.

"Yeah, I know, but I want to have a good portion done to turn in when I get back. When Rachel was gone, I missed a few days, and I just got that work made-up and now that I have to leave for basically a week, I don't want to go back and make it seem like I don't care about school. I came back to Lima to go to school and though there are a few times I'll have to miss classes, I don't want people to think I'm getting special treatment, just because I had to go to an awards show or other event."

Ethan nodded, "that's understandable, but your teachers are not giving you 'special treatment' nor do I think your classmates feel that way. They all are aware that you have a job and when you do leave, you're not just at home sleeping."

"I know, but I just want to keep up on it as much as I can," Noah told them, "and speaking of homework, I'm gonna go get on some of it and work on packing."

"Okay, we're going to go out in about an hour and pick up some travel supplies, so if you need anything, let us know," Deborah commented.

"Alright, thanks," he smiled at them and after setting his dishes in the sink, kissed his mom's forehead and headed up to his room to really get into packing and homework.

...

Out of Noah's six classes, he only had work in four of them. He had already turned in his English paper, which was due in a few days, and his teacher told him not to worry about any work because they'd still probably be working on the paper, and his other class was gym, so there was no homework at all in that. With psychology, Spanish, math and science left, he debated all the options and decided that he'd take his Spanish and psychology work with him, and keep his math and science work at home.

Making sure he had all his Spanish and psychology things together, he stuffed them into his carry-on, the only thing he'd really packed and headed downstairs with his math and science stuff and sat down at the dinning room table to get to work.

He spent the next several hours working on homework and managed to finish science and get started on his math. Just before noon, he heard the gate alarm go off and knew Rachel was there, because his parents had just left to go shopping, so he knew they wouldn't be back already. Getting up, he headed to the front door, just as she walked onto the porch, "hey sexy," he grinned.

Rachel blushed, "I don't feel sexy right now," she said holding up her cast.

"Eye of the beholder, babe," he winked and moved aside to let her in, "besides you're the sexiest when you just wake up," he added.

"I am?" She asked surprised.

"You are, because I get to see you without the make-up and nice clothes," he closed the door and took her bag off her shoulder, "I don't need all that to know you're beautiful and a little cast doesn't change how you look," he added.

"Thanks, Noah," she smiled, accepting the compliments as she followed him into the dinning room, "I brought some homework along. I didn't know what exactly we were going to do this afternoon, but I figured it wouldn't hurt."

"That's fine. I finished up my science work and have been working on math. I figured I'm going to take my Spanish and psychology work with me," he told her.

"Since when do you take psychology?" She asked curiously.

"I officially start on Monday," he commented. "My history class is over Friday and since yesterday was the last time I'll be in class, I turned in my final homework and my book yesterday. My teacher is also teaching the psychology class, which I'm taking because I want to and it also works to finish out my Junior year of history credits. Anyway, my teacher gave me the textbook for the class and the work for the first week, so I can come back to class and be caught up with everyone else," he explained.

"Oh, alright. That's a good idea," Rachel admitted.

Noah set her bag on the table by his books, "so the only thing I've really gotten packed is my carry-on, so I could use some help with that. You up for it?" He asked.

"Sure," Rachel nodded.

Heading up to his room, Rachel noticed his large suitcase and carry-on was sitting on his bed and though his carry-on was full, his suitcase was empty, "I thought you would have had a lot more packed by now," she admitted.

He shrugged, "well, I'm used to packing on the go, so it won't take long. I don't plan on doing anything big, anyway, so no need for anything fancy."

"What are you wearing to the awards?" She asked, taking a seat on his bed, "hand me clothes and I'll fold them for you."

Noah nodded and moved towards his closet, "I haven't figured that out yet. We're going shopping after rehearsals on Saturday to get what we're wearing. Black is my trademark, so probably that. I don't like dressing up. Every day I wear shirts like this," he took a button up and collared long sleep shirt in plaid out of his closet and tossed it to her, "and t-shirts with jeans and skater shoes, and that's usually how I dress when I go out."

"Yeah, going someplace like the movies with me or out to dinner, but Noah, this is the Grammy Awards. It's completely dedicated to music and is probably the biggest awards show of the year, you can't just wear jeans and a t-shirt," she commented, folding up the shirt he tossed her and laid it in a pile.

"I know it's a more formal event; it's more like dressing for the prom instead of just going to dinner, but I hate dressing up. There's only," he paused and thought for a moment, "one time I'll ever dress up completely."

"When is that?" Rachel asked curiously, folding a few t-shirts he handed her.

He walked over to her and took her right hand on his and pressed a kiss to the top of it, "the day you become my wife," he smiled.

Rachel gasped, not expecting that as his answer, "oh Noah," she smiled brightly, squeezing his hand, "really?"

"Really. Because to me, that is worth dressing up for, everything else is just another boring event to celebrate celebrities. I love being recognized for my music, but do I have to dress up to accept an award?" He asked, sitting on the bed next to her.

"No, you don't," Rachel admitted, "I guess when I see the Red Carpet shows, they are usually more into what the women are wearing, anyway."

"Yeah, and last time I checked, I don't have that kind of plumbing," he smirking, getting up to get more clothes.

Rachel smiled, "I know that is a very true statement," she grinned, "and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Noah glanced at her and blushed, "sorry, I thought I was doing well to hide that."

"Don't apologize. I've noticed it a few times, but I don't mind," she told him honestly, taking a pair of his jeans and folding them up, "tells me that what we have is real and I'm not just dreaming it all up."

"I promise you're not dreaming," he replied, moving back over to his bed with a few more pair of pants in his hands and handed one to Rachel to fold, then leaned in and kissed her, "because I don't think you would have felt that, if you were."

"You're right," Rachel smiled, "very real."

"Good," he returned to his suitcase, glancing at what he had out, then moved over to his dresser to collect his underclothes and socks, "I hate packing," he mumbled, sorting things out by day.

"What are you doing? I had those all organized," Rachel laughed.

"Sorry, babe, but I need to know that I have at least enough clothes for each day we're there, so I don't repeat shirts and also something extra special, but casual, to wear on Monday, because while we're in the studio recording, they're also going to be filming it to piece together to make a music video," he added, "so I'd rather not go in jeans I've worn for three days and a grubby t-shirt."

"I understand," Rachel nodded, sitting cross-legged on his bed, watching him, "that makes sense, but what if you take a complete outfit for Monday and set them aside, then mix-and-match the rest of the time. Are you going to be doing much while you're there, aside from the main reason you're going?"

"No. I really want to come back to school with all my homework done, so I figure when I'm not working, I'll be doing homework."

"Normally I would agree, but given everything that has happened recently, you deserve to go out and have some fun and forget about the bad stuff for a while," she told him truthfully, "but not too much fun that I see pictures of you partying with other girls online," she winked at him.

Noah laughed lightly, "I wouldn't do that to you, Rach, I promise," he replied honestly, locking eyes when he said it, "but Taylor and I may go hang out for a while."

"You guys should," she admitted, laying back and stretching out on his bed, "and while you're out, remember that I'm stuck at home with a broken wrist doing homework and missing you," she added.

"Are you trying to make me feel bad for you?" He asked, moving to crawl up on the bed next to her, "because it's working," he admitted, brushing some of her hair from her eyes.

Rachel closed her eyes for a moment, "as much as I want you to go and have fun, I'm going to miss you so much," she murmured, shifting closer to him.

Noah slid his arm around her body and kissed her lips, "I'm going to miss you just as much, babe. I wish you were going, but I understand why you're not. The timing just sucks," he replied, resting his forehead against hers.

"Yes, it does," she agreed relaxing, "I wish I could go, but I'm just not ready."

"It's okay, babe. There will be plenty of award shows to go to later," he assured her, just as the gate's alarm went off. "My parents must be home," he commented.

"Okay, we should finish getting you packed up and then get on some homework," she replied.

"We could, or we could just stay like this," he murmured, holding her close.

"Yeah, we could," she agreed, "but you leave tomorrow and you need to get packed."

"I know," he sighed, pushing himself up, "the sooner I get packed and go the sooner I can come home to you," he admitted, smiling at her, "so that is a plus."

...

After finishing packing in a short time, Noah double checked he had everything in his suitcase before declaring that he was done, "great! Now all I have to do is get my guitar and I should be set," he smiled, following Rachel down to the dinning room where he had been doing his homework.

Getting right to work, Noah focused on his math and Rachel on her science, asking him questions about some of the work they'd done and he let her borrow his notes from class to help her in some of the assignments.

Ethan and Deborah spent the rest of the day packing themselves and also getting Arin's things gathered up so she could go stay at Rachel's while they were gone, leaving Rachel and Noah alone for the most part. Just after three, they left the house and went to pick up Arin, giving the teens the house to themselves for the rest of the night.

Closing his math book, Noah groaned and rubbed his eyes, "finally. Just one more section and I'll be done," he admitted.

"That's wonderful Noah," Rachel smiled, taking a drink of her water. "I'm nowhere near done with this, but it's getting there."

He nodded and stood up, kissing her forehead, "you're doing great. I'm going to go start dinner."

"Alright. Do you need any help?" She asked.

"Nope, I got it covered. You keep working," he smiled.

"What are we having?"

Noah smiled, "I figured since we weren't going to California together, that I'd bring California to you, or at least, have the same thing we had when we were there last time," he explained, "remember when we met the Taylors and had sushi at Tengu?" At her nod he smiled, "well, I'm making sushi."

"You are? Wow!" She smiled, "that sounds good. I didn't know you knew how to make it," she added.

"I've seen it made a lot and I have been showed. I've never done it on my own before, so if it doesn't look the best, I'm sorry, but it will taste great," he promised.

"I know it will," she smiled, "are you sure you don't need any help?"

"I'm sure. I got it. Just work on your homework and we'll be ready to eat in no time," he replied. "Oh, and stay out of the kitchen. It's one thing to do this for the first time, but I'd rather not have an audience."

She giggled, but nodded, "alright. I'll stay out."

"Thanks," he smirked and moved into the kitchen.

...

For the next two hours, Chef Noah bounced around the kitchen, preparing the sushi rice, cutting the meats and vegetables, and trying to cover the wrappers with rice, throwing numerous cuss words out when things didn't go his way, but after a few tries, he finally got things going and finished up the sushi just after five and focused on the rest of their meal with a light salad to start with and dessert of chocolate covered strawberries and whip cream.

Very proud of his work, because he'd been planning this meal for several days, Noah moved into the dinning room to find Rachel still working on her homework, "dinner is ready if you wanna eat," he said.

"Is it safe?" She asked with a grin, "there was an awful lot of noise coming from the kitchen and a few words that I would rather not repeat."

"Yes it is safe," he smirked, kissing her forehead, then moved his books and things to the other end of the table so they could continue to sit in the same places, "if you just give me a few minutes to set the table, I'll get dinner."

Rachel nodded, "alright. I'm ready when you are."

Laying place mats out, he then set a few candles on the table and lit them. Moving into the kitchen, he returned with two sets of silverware, napkins and wine glasses for their drinks and then after another trip, he returned with a bottle of sparking grape juice, looking just like a bottle of wine, "for dinner, how's sparkling grape juice?" He asked opening the bottle.

"It sounds wonderful," she smiled, already amazed at the details he was going to.

Noah poured each of them a glass, setting the bottle on the table and then left, returning once more with a plate of salad for each of them. He set hers down and left quickly to get the few bottles of salad dressing and then slid into his seat, "salad for starts, then sushi for dinner and a special dessert."

"Noah, this is absolutely amazing! You did not have to do this, but thank you," Rachel replied, fighting the tears in her eyes at how happy she was at the moment.

"Hey, hold on," Noah reached over and wiped her eyes, "save the tears until later," he grinned, "I wanted to do this for us, babe."

Feeling butterflies in her stomach, "okay," she nodded and took a deep breath.

Reaching over to pick up his glass, he held it up to her, "I love you, Rachel," he smiled.

"I love you, too, Noah," she replied, tapping her glass against his, before taking a quick drink and then digging into their salad.

...

With a simple chef salad for starters, they ate through it and chatted lightly, then Noah cleared their dishes and returned with a large platter full of sushi, and set it down, giving each of them a smaller plate to put some on, then left to get the soy sauce.

Rachel was amazed at how well the pieces looked, "Noah, this looks like you bought it! Are you sure you haven't done this before?" She asked in surprise as he sat down again.

"I'm sure," he smiled, "but thanks. I've done it before, with help, but never on my own, so I'm really proud of myself," he admitted.

"So am I," she agreed, moving her glass towards him when he went to refill their drinks.

"Thanks, babe," he said filling their glasses and then returned to dinner. "I hope it tastes okay."

Rachel took some and then took a piece into her mouth and smiled, "it does," she assured him, once she finished it.

Noah smiled and settled in, "good to know."

...

Eating through most of the sushi, Rachel sat back in her seat, "Noah, this was so good. I honestly don't think I could handle dessert right now."

"That's okay. We can have them later. I actually was kind of hoping you'd say that," he admitted, finishing off his last piece.

"Really?" She asked curiously.

He nodded, "yeah. I think they'd go great with what else I have planned, but maybe we could work on some homework again and let our dinner settle."

"That's a good idea," Rachel nodded, "would you like me to help you with the dishes?"

He was about to turn down her offer, but shrugged, "if you'd like to. I tried to clean as I went, but there are still dishes and I don't want mom and dad coming home to a mess."

"I agree," she replied, standing up, "come on. I may not be able to wash, but I can dry and put things away," she smiled.

Gathering up plates and dishes, they moved into the kitchen and as discussed, while Noah washed, Rachel dried the dishes and put them away where they belonged and in just a short time, the semi-messy kitchen was back to it's normal clean before they returned to the dinning room and got back to their homework.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Noah," Rachel smiled, "it was wonderful."

"You're welcome," he replied, leaning over and kissing her gently, "I was happy to do it."

"It still sucks that you have to leave, but that kind of makes up for it," she admitted.

"It does suck, but yeah, it does a bit," he agreed.

...

Noah's original plan had been to immediately go downstairs after dinner, but because they were both full and he hadn't finished his homework, he altered his plan a bit and told himself that as soon as he got his math done, he'd talk her into going downstairs, which was a great time for them to have dessert and continue their special night.

"Finally!" Noah exclaimed, just after seven.

"Did you finish?" Rachel asked with a grin.

"I did," he nodded, "now. Let's take dessert down to the studio. I have something for you," he explained.

"For me?" Rachel looked at him, "what?"

"That my lovely girlfriend, is for you to find out when we get down there," he replied with a smirk, gathering up his things.

"Um, alright. Let me get my stuff gathered up my stuff," she said, blushing deeply.

Noah nodded and also got his things together and excused himself to take them up to his room so they were not left on the dinning room table and when he returned, Rachel was just setting her bag by the front door. "I just have to get dessert and if you don't mind carrying a bottle down, I can get the rest," he admitted.

"Bottle of what?" Rachel asked curiously, following him into the kitchen.

"Sparkling apple cider. I figured it was the closest to champagne that we could drink," he replied, taking the bottle out of the fridge along with a cookie sheet, covered with parchment paper and chocolate covered strawberries.

Rachel grinned brightly, "you're spoiling me."

"No I'm not. I'm treating you how my girlfriend should be treated," he told her truthfully.

"I'm sure there are a billion girls out there wishing their boyfriends were like you, but they can't have you," she said, slipping her arm around his waist and kissing him lovingly.

"Damn right they can't. Only you can," he promised, hugging her tightly before pulling away, "let me get these in a container and we can head downstairs."

"Okay," she nodded.

Noah got a plastic bowl and filled it with the strawberries and then grabbed a couple of glasses, "alright, let's go."

Rachel followed him downstairs and into the hall by the studio. Every time she went in there, she felt like she was walking into another world, especially now that she'd experienced a professional studio in New York. She still didn't see him as 'Puck', but she knew he was, so it felt like they weren't in Lima anymore. "So what do you have for me?" She asked, following him to back of the studio where they had a couch and coffee table.

Noah set the items down on the table and took the bottle from her, then guided her into the sound booth, where the piano was, and got her to sit down on a stool next to it. He took a seat at the piano and turned to her, "while you were gone, I wrote you a song," he started.

"You did?" She gasped, already feeling the butterflies building. "What is it about?"

"I didn't know how you would act when you got home, but I knew that you related to music. I thought that maybe this could be a way to get into your head and make you see that I'm there for you no matter what. A few of the lines won't relate completely to us now, but before, when they were written, I thought they might. I could have changed them, but then the feeling of the song might change, so I chose not to change the words. I hope that's alright," he explained.

"Noah, I'm sure whatever it is, it's going to be amazing. You're a very talented writer and I will love it no matter what," she assured him, biting her lip to keep from crying, "I also would love to hear it."

"I'm so glad you said that," he smiled, taking a deep breath, "I really hope you like it."

She eyed him, "Noah, I already love it. I loved it the moment you told me it was something you wrote for me."

He nodded and slid closer to her to kiss her, "love you," he murmured against her lips.

"Love you, too," she whispered.

Noah slid back to the center of the piano bench and took a deep breath, stretching his fingers before he laid his hands on the keys and began to play the beginning of the song, and after a few bars, he began to sing, "_I'll never be a knight in armor with a sword in hand, or a kamikaze fighter. Don't count on me to storm the barricades and take a stand, or hold my ground,_" he took a breath and glanced at her, seeing tears falling from her eyes, but continued on, "_you'll never see any scars or wounds. I don't walk on coals, I won't walk on water. I am no prince, I am no saint, I am not anyone's wildest dream, but I will stand behind and be someone to fall back on,_" Noah smiled at her as his fingers continued to dance across the keys.

The tempo picked up just slightly and he played on, as if he'd known the song for years, "_some comedy. You're bruised and beaten down and I'm the one who's looking for a favor. Still, honestly, you don't believe me, but the things I have are the things you need. You look at me like I don't make sense, like a waste of time, like it serves no purpose,_" looking at her again, he saw her tears falling and his own eyes were watering, but he pulled it together to sing the chorus once more, "_I am no prince, I am no saint, and if that's what you believe you need, you're wrong. You don't need much, you need someone to fall back on,_" he could hear her crying, but wanted to finish, so he focused on the song, "_and I'll be that: I'll take your side. If I'm the only one, I'm used to that. I've been alone, I'd rather be: the half of us, the least of you, the best of me,_" he grinned and looked at her to finish the song, "_and I will be... I'll be your prince, I'll be your saint, I will go crashing through fences. In your name, I will, I swear - I'll be someone to fall back on! I'll be the one who waits, and for as long as you'll let me, I will be the one you need. I'll be someone to fall back on... Someone to fall back on,_" he slowed the song down again to sing the final words, "_one to fall back on,_" and played a few notes to finish the song, before looking at her, waiting for her to respond as his own tears were falling.

Rachel's heart was racing as she sobbed, and when he finished playing, she threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around him in a tight hug, her sobs continuing, but she was able to choke out, "I loved it," while she held him.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and rubbing her back gently to help calm her, while he took a few deep breaths to settle his nerves; he'd been worried she wouldn't like it, but when she said those three words, they were all he needed to know she approved.

...

Neither said anything else right away, but managed to get up and move back into the main room of the studio to take a seat on the softer couch, which helped them both relax more.

"That was the most amazing song I've ever heard. Maybe I'm being biased, but that doesn't change how I feel about it. I loved it," she said honestly, finally calming down enough to respond to the song.

"I'm so glad, baby. I really wasn't sure how you'd feel about it, but your reaction said it all," he admitted, smiling brightly, "I do have one question, though."

"What's that?" She looked up at him from where she was resting her head against his chest.

"Would you be okay if I made it one of my songs on my next album? It's for you, so I'm giving you the choice. I'd really like to use it, but it's your call," he explained.

Rachel sat up and kissed him, "use it, Noah. Put it on your album. We will know the truth of how it came to be and I know I was the first one to ever hear it," she smiled.

"And the first one to have a copy of it," he reached to the table and picked up a slim CD case, holding a blank disc, with the title and a few notes written on it, "I can also email you the file if you'd like it on your computer or iPod," he added.

"I'd love that," Rachel grinned, taking the CD, "I'm going to wear this out while you're gone, you know that, right?"

He laughed lightly, "that's totally alright. I know where I can get more," he paused, "do you think you could handle one more surprise?"

"Another surprise?" Rachel's eyes widened, "you're making it very hard to top the next time you have to go somewhere and I can't go along."

"I'm sure I'll figure out something," he assured her, nudging her slightly so she'd move and he got up, moving over to the desk and pulled out a box and came back over to the couch and sat down, this time facing her, "remember when we went to the Statue of Liberty?"

"Yes," Rachel nodded, looking curiously at the box.

"Well, I've never been so nervous to talk to your dads, as I was that day, but I shouldn't have been, because they're awesome," he smiled, "and they gave me the the answer I wanted, so the next day, when you girls went shopping, so did the guys and I. I bought these," he paused and opened the box, showing her the two white gold bracelets, one slightly larger than the other.

Rachel's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, staring at the bracelets inside and she quickly realized that one was for each of them, "oh, Noah, they're beautiful!"

He nodded, "they are," he picked up the smaller of the two, "the shop I bought these at specializes in European cultural jewelery, mostly Irish and Celtic designs. Dad and I found the place a few years ago when we were looking for something for mom. I went in there, planning to get us promise rings, but I saw these and I knew they would be perfect," he showed her the words, "'Mo Anam Cara' is Gaelic for 'My Soul Mate' and on the other side," he turned it around so she could see them, "are four Claddagh symbols, which is also from Ireland," he paused, "_quit giving her a history lesson, dude! Just ask her,_" he thought to himself. Taking a deep breath to relax, he smiled, "Rachel, you are my soul mate; my other half and I can not imagine myself without you in my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and though I know we're not quite ready to get engaged, I want you to have something as a symbol of my promise to you. I promise I will always love you, I will always be faithful to you, I will always be here for you and we _will_ be husband and wife one day," he paused, "would you accept this?" He asked softly, holding the bracelet up to her.

Holding back tears and biting her lip to keep from sobbing, she nodded, "yes, I will, Noah," she replied, unable to keep her hand from shaking as she held her right wrist out.

Noah carefully unclasp the bracelet and wrapped it around her wrist, clipping it back together and pressing a kiss to the metal against her skin, "I love you," he whispered against it, before pulling her against him in a tight hug.

Rachel smiled as they hugged, but her tears reluctantly fell. Taking a few moments to calm down, she pulled back a little and lifted her wrist to study the shiny bracelet wrapped around her wrist. It was tight enough so it wouldn't slip off, but loose enough that it could spin freely and for a brief moment, she thought of the heavy metal cuffs that Crystal had put around her wrists, but that memory quickly disappeared as the metal began to warm up against her skin and the meaning of the words sunk in. Remembering there were two bracelets, she reached for the box and took his out, "you are my soul mate and my everything. No one will ever take your place and I promise that I will be faithful to you and I _will_ be your wife one day," she said, smiling up at him as she wrapped his bracelet around his wrist and clasp it shut, mirroring what he had done by kissing the bracelet. "I love you, too," she grinned.

...

'Someone To Fall Back On' - Aly Michalka as performed on the 'Bandslam' soundtrack

Disclaimer 2: I do not own this song, nor did Noah 'Puck' Puckerman write it. I am borrowing it for use in this work of fiction.

...

A picture of their bracelets, that Noah bought in Chapter 29, can be seen on the post for this chapter on my LJ here: ( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com/ 46245 . html ) I found them at this website: ( celtic-jewellery . com )

...

A/N5: What did you guys think? Hope you all enjoyed! Review and let me know!

A/N6: Off to work on the new chapter, so hopefully there won't be as much time between updates.

...


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

A/N4: I feel horrible! One of my best friends and readers suggested 'Someone To Fall Back On' a long time ago and we agreed it fit best in 'Starlight'. I totally forgot to give her the shout-out that she totally deserves for pointing out this awesome song... Thank you, Karma22 / KarmaKaze22! Love ya!

...

Snuggling up together on the couch, Noah and Rachel relaxed in contentment. Their evening had been amazing and neither wanted it to end, but in the back of their minds they knew that by morning, Noah and his parents would be leaving Lima for almost a week.

"I don't want to go home," Rachel murmured, her eyes studying the bracelet wrapped around her wrist.

"Then stay the night," he replied, holding her close to him.

"But we talked about sleeping apart before you left so it would be easier while you were gone," she said softly.

"Yeah, we did, but I don't want you to leave either," he added, "so forget what we talked about and stay," he told her honestly.

Rachel smiled and shifted lightly, "gladly," she whispered, pressing her lips to his.

...

Sitting up a little, the couple stayed close as they shared the chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling apple cider, talking lightly. As they finished the last one, Rachel sat back on the couch and reached out for him to join her.

Noah turned a little to face her, "maybe we should head upstairs and do this," he whispered, "you should call your dads to make sure they're okay with you staying and then we can head to my room to get comfortable."

Rachel sighed, but sat up, "you're right," she agreed, "my phone is in my bag. I don't have any clothes to sleep in, though," she admitted.

"It's okay. I've got things you can borrow," he assured her, standing up.

"Okay," Rachel smiled and stood up, helping collect their items from the table and then headed upstairs, dropping the dirty dishes in the kitchen. Rachel moved over to her her bag and put the CD he gave her inside and then got her cell phone to call her dads.

"Hello, sweetheart, everything alright?" David answered.

Rachel nodded, "yes, everything is wonderful," she smiled, "Noah gave me this beautiful bracelet," she admitted, looking at it, "and got one for him, too."

"That's wonderful, Rachel. We can't wait to see them," David replied.

"Would it be alright if I stayed here tonight?" She asked, "I really don't want to leave."

"Of course it is. We figured you'd want to stay. Do you think you'll be okay?" He asked, "because we know Deborah and Ethan will be alright with it."

"I'll be okay here. This is my second home. I feel safe here," she assured him, moving into the kitchen where Noah was.

"That's good. Enjoy the rest of your night and we'll see you in the morning," he told her.

"Thank you, daddy. Goodnight. I love you both," she said, blowing a kiss through the phone.

"We love you, too, sweetheart, goodnight," he replied before hanging up.

Rachel slid her phone into her pocket, and smiled at Noah, "they're okay with it."

"That's awesome," Noah grinned, moving to wrap his arms around her.

"It is," she nodded, relaxing in his strength.

"I already asked my parents if you could stay. They're cool with it," he added.

"You did?" She blushed, "daddy said they knew your parents would be okay if I stayed."

"Well, as my parents said, you're welcome here anytime, day or night, so at least they all agree," he kissed her. Rachel returned his kiss, but jumped when she heard the loud ringing from the gate alarm and Noah laughed lightly, "whoa, babe, it's okay. My parents and sister must be back."

"I know, it just shocked me. I wasn't expecting it," she admitted, laughing lightly.

"I could tell," Noah grinned, kissing her gently.

It didn't take long for his family to enter the house, pulling the teens back to reality, from where they were lost in each other. Arin was happy to see Rachel, but after greeting her and her brother, she headed up to her room to start getting ready for bed and to collect some things to pack up, giving Ethan and Deborah a chance to talk to Noah and Rachel.

"I see you accepted the bracelets," Ethan commented with a smile.

Rachel grinned, "I did. They're amazing," she slipped her arm around Noah's waist, "you both have raised a wonderful young man and I'm so happy to be a part of his life."

Noah blushed at her compliment, but smiled, "thanks babe."

"He is a wonderful young man," Deborah agreed, "but he'll always be my little boy."

"Ah, mom," Noah continued to blush, ducking his head in embarrassment.

Deborah grinned and moved over to hug him, "it's true, sweetheart."

Ethan laughed, "quit embarrassing him. Save it for when he wins at the awards," he added, moving out of the kitchen.

"I love you, mom, I do, but keep it to a minimum, please," Noah begged.

"I'll try," Deborah promised, seeing her son's cheeks were still red.

"Thanks," he smiled, glancing in the direction of where his dad had gone and narrowed his eyes in confusion as he heard the front door open and close, "what's dad doing?"

"We went to get house keys made for Rachel in case Arin needs anything while we're gone. He's making sure they work before we give them to her," Deborah explained, then turned to Rachel, "and we don't want them back. You're welcome to keep them, because we trust you and know that you won't abuse the right to have them."

"It means the world to me that you all trust me and I promise I'll never destroy that trust," she assured them.

Ethan stepped into the room, "we know that, Rachel," he smiled, handing them over.

Rachel took the offered keys, still attached to the information tag and smiled at them. They looked like typical house keys, but one was white with black musical notes all over it and the other was shaped like an acoustic guitar, the neck and strings being where the key's teeth were. "These are so cool," she grinned.

"Arin picked them out," Ethan admitted. "The guitar is the door knob and the musical notes is the deadbolt. They both work. I just checked them," he explained.

"Thank you," she blushed, pealing the information sticker off of each one, "I'll put these on my keys right now so I don't lose them," she said, moving towards her bag. Digging out her keys, she found an empty ring and slipped them on, before returning to the kitchen.

"You do know the security code, right? And how to put it in?" Deborah asked.

"Yes, I do. Noah has showed me a few times," she replied.

"Good. You shouldn't have to come over here much, but if Arin should need something that wasn't packed, you're welcome to come over and get it. She also knows how to do the alarm, too," Deborah commented.

Rachel nodded, "okay. I'm sure we won't need to, but at least we can now. Would it be alright if we went out this weekend? Um, I mean, well," Rachel bit her lip, "I'm getting a little braver about going out and I was thinking she and I could go shopping at the mall, maybe Saturday with some of the girls."

"Oh, that's perfectly alright. She'll love that," Deborah admitted. "She loves you, Rachel."

"Really?" Rachel asked, surprised.

"You couldn't tell when she rushed in here to see you?" Deborah laughed lightly.

"Well, I know she likes me, but I didn't realize that," Rachel blushed, pushing some hair behind her ear.

Deborah nodded, "she loves having a girl around that's closer to her age," she explained, "someone who isn't her mom. She looks up to you," she added.

"Wow," Rachel blushed, "I, um, never had anyone look up to me before."

Noah rubbed her back, "well, considering that we'll be married one day, she'll technically be your sister-in-law, and it's not uncommon for little sisters to want to be like their older sisters," he explained.

Rachel smiled at his response and nodded, the band around her wrist a physical reminder of his comment, "that is very true and Arin is awesome. I'd love to be her sister. I also hope I continue to be someone she can look up to," she added.

"I'm sure you will be," Noah replied, kissing her on the cheek.

As the clock in the dinning room chimed on nine-pm, the four closed up the house and headed upstairs for the night. Noah and Rachel said 'goodnight' to Arin and their parents and then moved into Noah's room.

Once the door was closed, Rachel removed her top, carefully folding it up and laying it on his desk, then did the same with her skirt after she kicked her shoes off, "can I borrow one of your t-shirts?" She asked, motioning to her under clothes.

Noah walked over to her and slipped his arms around her body, "you could, but you could just sleep in that," he admitted, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.

Rachel smiled and stood on her tip toes as his lips kept exploring her shoulder and neck, "you do not know how good that feels," she whispered, letting her eyes drift closed.

His hands slid to rest on her bare back as he pulled back a little, "I feel a 'but' coming on, though," he admitted, guiding her to his bed.

She ducked her head in embarrassment, when she felt the bed against the back of her legs, "but I need some more time," she whispered, biting her lip as she looked up at him, "I know we did this in New York, but things have changed since then and I just need some more time to feel like myself again before we do this, okay?" She asked hopeful.

"More than okay," he assured her, "when you're ready," he added, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you," she murmured as they pulled away, kissing him on the lips.

Noah smiled into the kiss and when their lips parted, he whispered, "no thanks needed." Guiding her to sit down on the bed, he headed for his closet, digging out one of his gray McKinley Football t-shirts and brought it over to her, "how's this?"

"Perfect," she stood up and took it from him.

Watching her pull it on, seeing how much bigger it was than her petite body, he smirked, "it's big on you, but you look fuckin' hot in it."

Rachel blushed, knowing why he said that, "I like wearing your shirts," she admitted, running her hand through her hair.

"I like you wearing my shirts," he agreed with a grin, stripping down to his boxers and a t-shirt, "my closet is open anytime," he added, pulling back the blankets and slipping under them.

"I may just permanently borrow a few things to get me through this week," she explained, joining him under the blankets.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead, covering them up and snuggling in, "I'll make sure I give you a few before we go," he promised.

"Okay," she smiled and relaxed against his chest, "I keep trying to tell myself that it's only a week, but it's the first time we've really been apart since we got together," she admitted softly, "aside from when she took me."

Noah nodded and wrapped his arms around her protectively, "I'm going to miss you so much and will be counting down the time until I can see you again. We'll get through this, baby. We got through a lot worse, and we're stronger because of it. Being apart is going to suck, but we'll be okay, I promise," he said honestly.

Rachel smiled and leaned up, kissing him lovingly, "we will be," she agreed, "promise me you'll take pictures," she whispered.

He laughed lightly, but nodded, "I will and if I can't, I'm sure my mom or dad will," he assured her.

"Good," she grinned and settled against him again, "I love you."

"I love you, too, babe. See you in the morning," he replied, kissing her forehead.

"You, too," she replied, closing her eyes.

...

The Puckerman's house was busy by six in the morning. Everyone was up and moving around, trying to get final things taken care of before leaving. Rachel helped where she could, but was limited with her cast. By six-forty-five everyone's bags were packed into the cars; they'd put Arin's bags into Rachel's car, so they could take them over to the Berry's and the others' bags were in Ethan's SUV, that they were taking to the airport.

With a final walk around the house, they all moved outside, "okay, Arin. Do you know Rachel's cell phone number?" Deborah asked.

"Yes, and I know her house number and her dads' names," Arin replied.

"Good. I'm going to give them to your teacher when we get to school. I've already told her that you're going to be staying with them while we're gone and Rachel, you're still picking her up after school, right?" Deborah turned to look at her.

Rachel nodded, "yes, I'll be there at three," Rachel promised.

"Awesome!" Arin grinned, skipping over to Rachel and hugging her. "I can't wait!"

"Same here," Rachel admitted, returning her hug and smile, "it'll be like a super extended sleepover," she added.

"It will be," Arin agreed moving to hug her brother, "I hope you win an award," she said.

Noah smiled, "I hope so, too," he replied, hugging her, "be good for Rachel. I love you, sis."

"Love you, too, Noah," she replied, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Arin, but we'll be home before you know it," he promised, "oh and," he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "take care of Rachel for me."

Arin nodded, "I will. Promise," she smiled.

Noah returned her smile and nodded, "thanks."

...

Piling into their cars, Deborah and Ethan took Arin to school while Noah and Rachel headed back to her house, dropping off Arin's things in the Berry's guest room and getting a few more minutes together before his parents came over to get him.

"I know you guys are only going to be gone a week, but it feels like forever," Rachel murmured as she and Noah entered the kitchen where her dads were sitting.

"It'll go by fast," Noah promised, wrapping his arms around her. "And you can see me Sunday, if you watch the awards," he added with a grin.

Rachel smiled, "I will watch the awards. I was thinking about inviting everyone over for it."

"That sounds like a great idea," David commented, setting his coffee cup down.

"It'd be okay?" Rachel asked her dads.

"Of course," Alan nodded, "your friends are all welcome over here."

"Thank you," she smiled, "I'll invite them over," she paused and relaxed in Noah's arms, "but I'm still going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Rach, but I'm right here," he rested his hand gently over her heart, "and I'm going to call, text and send pictures when I can, so even though we're apart, we'll still be as close as we can be," he promised.

Rachel picked up his hand with hers and looked at their matching bracelets, "yeah, we will be," she agreed, standing up on her tip toes to kiss him, "I love you."

"I love you, too, babe," he murmured against her lips, wrapping his arms around her again.

After a few moments, they pulled apart and slid into the empty stools at the island where her dads were also sitting, "I see you're wearing the bracelets," Alan commented.

Rachel gasped, realizing that she hadn't showed her gift to them yet, "did you guys know?" She asked holding out her wrist as a blush grew on her cheeks.

"Yep, I showed our parents just after I bought them," Noah replied, "they had already given me permission to give you something for the reasons I did, so I showed them what I got to give you, well us."

Her dads looked at the bracelet and smiled at her, "they're a wonderful gift," David nodded.

Taking her hand back, Rachel nodded, "they are. I was so surprised" she continued to blush, "I can't believe you all have known since New York and no one told me," she admitted.

Alan laughed, "sweetheart, Noah asked for our permission and we knew when he got them that he'd wait until the right time to give them to you. We also knew that he'd create a special night to do that and we didn't want to ruin the surprise," he explained.

"Oh, yes, well, there is that," she agreed with a nod.

"I take it last night was the special night," David commented.

"It was amazing," Rachel nodded, "he made dinner all by himself: salad, sushi and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. We had sparking grape juice and sparking apple cider to drink and then we went downstairs to the studio, where he sang me a song he wrote for me while I was gone," she got up and slid onto Noah's lap, "it was so emotional, but I loved it and then he brought these out," she added, lifting her wrist to show the bracelet, "and I don't know when I cried more; for the song or these, but the whole night was so special," she said, kissing Noah lovingly.

Noah wrapped his arms around her while they kissed and smiled, "I'm glad you feel that way, because you're worth it and so much more. Some may say I'm spoiling you, but I think I'm treating you how you should be treated; with love, respect and romance."

"Definitely makes her dads very happy to know you're treating our daughter properly," Alan commented with a smile.

David nodded in agreement, "very happy."

Rachel smiled at her dads, then turned to her boyfriend, "I'm so lucky to have you, Noah."

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world," he replied, reaching up to brush his hand along her cheek, "I'm never letting you go," he added with a smile.

"Neither am I," she promised, smiling at him, but it changed to a pout when there was a knock on the front door.

David saw her expression and got up, heading to the door to answer it, knowing it was Noah's parents and greeted them when he pulled the door open, "morning you two."

"Morning, David," Deborah said waving.

"Hey," Ethan nodded at him as the two stepped inside.

"I don't think the kids are very happy you're here, though," he added, closing the door.

"Well, we took our time and we don't have to leave right now, but in the next ten to fifteen minutes," Ethan replied with a laugh, moving into the kitchen with Deborah and David.

"We really appreciate you guys taking Arin for the week," Deborah said to David and Alan.

"It's not a problem. Arin's a great kid and she's welcome any time," Alan replied honestly.

"Still, thank you. This is the first time we've ever gotten Deb to one of the awards shows," Ethan commented.

"Ever?" Rachel gasped, looking at her.

Deborah nodded, "yes. I've wanted to go a few times, but it's not really a place for a kid and we never felt comfortable leaving her with her friends for a long weekend or something and our family lives several hours from here," she explained, "so it's always been easier to just stay home and watch it on TV, because most of the time when they're filming it in California, it's broadcasting here at the same time, so it's like being there, but not quite."

"Oh, thank makes sense," Rachel agreed, "but you're his mom. You should go."

"I don't need to," she admitted, "he knows how proud I am of him, and being there or not being there is not going to change that. Sure, I would love to be there to congratulate him when they announce his name, but we're always the first call he makes, so it's close," Deborah smiled, rubbing Noah's shoulder, "and we knew one day I'd go with him."

"We figured it'd be a few years from now, when Arin was older and could either stay home alone or come with us," Noah added.

"Okay. I see what you mean," Rachel replied, resting her head on Noah's shoulder.

The clock on the wall was continuing to get closer to eight, and everyone knew what that meant, "I hate to say this, but we have to leave in a few minutes," Noah said softly.

Rachel sighed and stood up, holding out her hand to him. When he took it, she led him into the living room and wrapped her arms around him tightly; not wanting to let go, "I really don't want you to go, but on the other hand, this is a huge deal for you and I don't want you to miss it. I'm going to miss you so much," she murmured.

"I'm going to miss you, too, babe," he said, returning her hug, "I'm only a phone call away."

"I know," she nodded, resting her head against his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, "bring me back a Grammy, please," she requested with a smile, looking at him.

He laughed lightly at her request, but nodded, "I'll do my best, baby," he replied, leaning down to kiss her lovingly.

Their kiss lasted several moments and only broke apart when they heard footsteps near them, realizing their parents had joined them.

"I promise the week will go by quickly," Ethan said softly, looking at the teens as they still had their arms wrapped around each other.

Rachel bit her lip, "maybe. You guys will have a lot to do, but I won't have much to keep me occupied. Yes, I'll get to hang out with Arin and maybe go shopping and have everyone over for the awards, but other than that, not much."

"We'll be here, sweetheart," David said, moving towards them, "and there are plenty of things you can do to keep occupied."

"I'll try," she murmured, doing her best to stay calm, "but I'm just going to miss him so much," she added, wishing the tears in her eyes would go away.

"Of course you are, Rachel, no one said you couldn't," Alan said softly, "but we'll also help you get through this, so maybe it doesn't hurt as much."

Rachel nodded, "thanks," she smiled at her dads, "I know. I'm trying to tell myself it's only a week and it's going to go by fast, but it's hard. That's all," she admitted.

Noah pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I'll be home as soon as I can," he promised.

"I know you will be," she smiled lightly at him.

As a light beeping came from Ethan's watch, they knew it was time, so Rachel hugged Noah tightly and the two shared another kiss before reluctantly letting go.

Ethan and Deborah thanked Alan, David and Rachel for taking Arin for the week and 'goodbye' hugs and handshakes were exchanged between the parents before the six moved towards the front door. Ethan and Deborah went out first, followed by Noah and Rachel. Once the teens were outside, Noah wrapped his arms around her again, "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too," she replied, hugging him one last time, before letting go and watching him follow his parents out to Ethan's SUV.

The three Puckermans climbed into the SUV and after a few moments, it pulled away from the curb and headed down the street.

Rachel watched the SUV disappear after it turned off their street and she took a deep breath and turned seeing her dads standing behind her. "It gets easier, right?" She asked hopeful.

"It will," Alan replied softly.

Biting her lip, she nodded and moved into the house, knowing they were following her. When she heard the door shut, the walls she'd held up for so long crumbled and she began sobbing, falling against David.

"Oh sweetheart," David murmured, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "It's okay," he promised, rubbing her back.

"I'm going to miss him so much! I tried... I tried to stay calm, so he didn't see me break down," she mumbled between sobs, "but I can't anymore!"

Alan joined their hug, hating to see her like that, but both he and David had expected she'd be upset once Noah and his parents had left, "let it out, sweetheart."

Rachel continued to cry, clinging to them, "I tried to be supportive and not show him just how much it bothered me that he was going. I know know he feels horrible that he has to leave so soon after I came home and I didn't want him to feel even worse, seeing me like this, but he's been the only thing keeping me together and it's like a huge part of me is gone now!" She mumbled through sobs, "I know that's not the best thing to do, you know? Leaning on someone all the time, but he's what has held me together and now that he's gone, I feel like I'm falling apart!"

"Rachel," David rubbed her back, "nothing you have done is wrong. There isn't a 'right' way to recover from what you've been through. You leaned on Noah, because you trust him and feel safe with him. Given why you were taken, I'm sure that's also why you clung to him, and it does suck that he had to leave, because a big part of your support system isn't with you, but I promise you're going to be fine. Yes, it will be hard, but you'll get through this."

"You will," Alan nodded in agreement.

She had calmed down a little, but still had tears falling from her eyes, "I'm trying, but it's so hard! I thought I was getting better, but now I feel like I haven't recovered at all," she murmured, moving from them to plop down on the couch nearby.

David and Alan followed, taking seats next to her, "Rachel, just like broken bones," he rested his hand on her cast, "recovery takes time. Every day you're healing just a little bit more and you still are. You haven't stepped back in that because of this," he reached up and wiped her eyes, "you're acting like any girlfriend would when her boyfriend has to go away for a while and she'll only be able to talk to him on the phone or text him. The only difference is that your emotions are a little stronger right now, because of what happened. Just give yourself some time."

"Dad's right," David nodded, "even if you hadn't been taken and Noah still had to leave and you couldn't go for some reason, you'd still feel like this," he explained, taking her hand in his, "it's part of being in a relationship and loving someone; you miss them when you're apart. Just give yourself time. You'll be okay and before you know it, he'll be back."

Rachel was silent for a long moment, contemplating what her dads had said and then blushed, "you're right. I never thought of it that way," she admitted, taking a deep breath, "thank you. I love you both so much," she added, hugging each of them.

"No need to thank us, sweetheart," Alan replied, "we love you, too, and we're here for you always."

David leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "always," he agreed.

Rachel smiled, glancing down at her bracelet and took a deep breath, "_you can do this, Rachel. Noah's going to be home soon; he won't be gone forever, even if it feels like he is. Just take it one day at a time,_" she thought, leaning back on the couch to relax. Lifting her wrist up, she pressed a kiss to her bracelet, "one day at a time," she said softly, "I can do this."

...

There are pictures of the keys talked about in this chapter in the post for this chapter on my LJ here: ( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com / 47198 . html ) I found them at: ( mysecuritypro . com / index . aspx )

...

A/N5: Hope you all enjoyed! Please review and let me know! I'm only getting a few reviews per update, so I have no clue what you guys are thinking about the fic. Please tell me! Even if it's just 'loved it'. Your reviews keep me writing!

A/N6: I'm almost caught up to what I had going; at least a chapter ready, after the one I posted, so hopefully updates will come quicker now. Today I'm updating 'Out of the Blue' and 'Starlight' and last week I updated 'Broken Road' and 'Returning Home'. The next updates for all of them should be in less than a few weeks.

A/N6: I have a ton of ideas, but is there anything specific you'd like to see or have happen in here? Any celebrities you'd like brought in? Let me know!

...


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Noah hated leaving Rachel, but he also knew it would be good for them to see that they could manage while they were apart, even if the distance sucked. They'd only been out of Lima about an hour and the further they got away the more his heart ached, "now I know how you guys feel when dad and I leave for months," Noah murmured.

Deborah turned around a little, to look at him, "I miss you both so much while you're gone, but talking to you often and sending pictures back and forth really helps," she admitted, "now it's a bit easier to deal with, but the first few years I cried myself to sleep a lot."

"I'm sorry," Noah said softly, "I never really knew how it felt until now and it makes me feel even worse for keeping you guys apart for so long," he admitted.

"Don't apologize," Ethan told him, "we're fine with what we've been doing because we trust each other," he motioned between him and Deborah, then took her hand in his, "besides, when they do get to visit or we can come home, it's amazing," he smiled, trying to keep his eyes on the road, but glanced at Deborah, smirking.

"Oh man," Noah groaned, shaking his head, "please! I don't want to know the details of your sex life!" He exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. "It's bad enough I _know_ you guys have sex, I don't need to be told, too!"

Ethan laughed lightly, "I won't say anymore, but yes, being apart sucks, but seeing each other again is great. Yes, you have every right to miss Rachel, and you'll feel like a part of you is empty, but when you see her and hold her again, she'll fill the emptiness and you'll be whole again," he said, squeezing Deborah's hand, "and you'll fall even more in love with her every time you see her again, just like I do with your mom."

Deborah blushed at his words, a bright grin growing on her face, "I feel the same way."

Noah watched his parents and smiled, knowing they were deeply in love with each other. Settling back in his seat, he put his ear-buds in and tried to lose himself in some relaxing music, "_every time I see Rachel I fall more in love with her,_" he thought, his grin brightening, "_when I see her again, I'm sure it'll be the same; I'll fall even more for her, just like dad said. I can't wait to wrap my arms around her again... Dude, relax. You're just leaving, you have a whole week to get through before that can happen. It's too early to be thinking that or you won't be able to deal with the separation. Just take it one day at a time... I really hate leaving her... She's been through hell and all I want to do is be with her and this timing really sucks!_" He sighed, flipping to a more upbeat song on his playlist, "_I know she wanted me to go and I do, too, but I just wish it wasn't so soon, but I guess it's too late for that. I can't back out, well I could, but I'd get in a lot of trouble... It's going to be hard, but we'll be okay. It's just a week; not forever,_" he nodded lightly, agreeing with the thoughts dancing around his head.

...

Noah let his music occupy his mind for a while and when he began to see the familiar signs for the airport, he realized they were close. They'd left Lima at eight in the morning it was just after ten, so he pulled his ear-buds from his ears and put them back in his bag, then glanced at his phone to see a few messages from friends, so he responded to them and then wrote one to Rachel, "_hey baby! We're almost to the airport. As soon as we get checked in and through security I'll call you! Love you, miss you!_" He typed, sending the message when he was done.

Stuffing his phone into his pocket, he pulled his hood up and relaxed, watching road pass by as Ethan headed up to the airport's parking garage. Pausing at the ticket booth, Ethan gave his information over and they were given directions to where to leave their vehicle and he drove through the lot and found their spot.

Getting out and gathering their luggage, they locked up Ethan's SUV and made their way towards the entrance of the airport. For the time of day and year it was, the airport wasn't super busy, so the check-in line was pretty short, but once they had their boarding passes and were on their way to the security line, they found the back-up. They line was pretty long, but it seemed to be moving pretty quickly, so it didn't take long for them to get to the front. Taking their turns emptying their pockets, letting their bags and things get checked as they walked through the metal detectors. Since they were used to traveling with all the rules, all three of them got through without any trouble and once they had their things gathered up, they headed right for the Starbucks. "Can you guys get me my usual? I want to go call Rachel," Noah requested.

"Sure, just don't go far," Ethan nodded.

"I won't," Noah replied, pulling his phone out and dialed her number, that he knew by heart and after a few rings, he smiled when he heard her answer, "hey baby! I miss you!"

"I miss you, too, Noah," Rachel replied, stretching as she laid in bed.

"We just got through security. Mom and dad are in line at Starbucks. I'm so sorry I didn't call or text you while we were on our way here," he admitted. "I should have," he added, feeling bad that on their trip he hadn't messaged her.

"It's okay," Rachel admitted, "I wouldn't have gotten them. After you guys left, dad, daddy and I talked for a bit and I came up to bed and laid down for a while. The text you did send woke me up," she explained.

"Oh really? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. Are you okay?" Noah asked concerned.

She debated lying to him, but decided to be honest, "well, I was a bit emotional right after you guys left, but I'm okay now. Dad and daddy helped me calm down and then I decided to lay down and take a nap to relax."

Noah bit his lip, "I thought you might be upset," he admitted softly. "I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to leave like this."

"Don't feel bad, Noah," Rachel said, sitting up a little, "I miss you so much, but I understand why you had to go," she paused, remembering some things she'd thought of just before she fell asleep, "and I hate to admit this, but this isn't going to be the first time we'll have to be apart. I won't always be able to go with you, either because of something I have going on, or because of what you need to do, so we need to make the time we are together as special as we can, and last night was so amazing," she explained, smiling at the memories.

"Yeah, it was amazing," he agreed grinning, gathering the rest of his thoughts, "you must have been thinking about this."

"A bit," she nodded, "when I came up to my room, before I fell asleep I was thinking about this situation. I realized that maybe not so much now, but when we go to New York, I hope we live together and if you're working, I wouldn't be able to travel as much as you, since I'll be taking classes on campus, unless there is an occasional online one I can take," she explained, already feeling more like the Rachel Berry she knew weeks prior.

Noah nodded, his mind contemplating what she said, "yeah, you are right, baby. Being apart sucks," he agreed. "I really want to live together when we go to New York, too," he added.

"I hoped you'd say that," Rachel grinned.

"You know me well, Rach," he told her, smiling at his parents when they came over with coffee in their hands. "Besides, you think I'd really let you live somewhere else? Not a chance," he said honestly.

Ethan raised a curious eyebrow at what they were talking about, but ignored it for the moment, giving the teens a chance to talk.

"Do you think we'd really be able to?" Rachel asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked, following his parents towards their gate.

"Would we be able to live together? I mean," Rachel bit her lip, thinking of the other draw back to them living together, "if we're not married, would your manager allow us to?"

Noah smirked, "I don't know... Hey mom, dad, would it be okay if Rachel lived with us when I have to go back to New York, even if we weren't married?" He asked them casually.

Deborah gasped at the question, thankful that she didn't have coffee in her mouth and turned to look at her husband, seeing his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide with shock and wanted to let him answer, since he'd be returning to New York with Noah.

The three had stopped walking, so Ethan took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts, calming down from the metaphorical heart attack he'd just had, "personally, I would not have a problem with that; she is welcome any time, but I believe that question should be directed at her dads. You know, the guys she lives with? The lawyer and the doctor?" Ethan smirked, turning the shock to Noah.

Noah groaned, "I think I walked into that one," he murmured, blushing as he continued on their trek to their gate.

"I can't believe you just asked that, Noah!" Rachel exclaimed, "someone could have heard you!"

"I love you and I don't care who knows," he said honestly, "and what we choose to do with our lives is our choice," he added, "well, once your dads agree to it, anyway. I don't want to be on their bad side."

Rachel laughed lightly at that, "well, considering that they've given you free reign to stay here for however long you want, I don't think they'd mind if we did decide to live together. And I love you, too, but I just don't want rumors or anything to start because of someone hearing a portion of a conversation," she added.

Noah smiled at her response, happy to hear that about her dads. "Don't worry about rumors. I don't care. Haven't been concerned about them before; I'm not going to start now," Noah replied finally taking a seat, once they reached the waiting area.

"Sweetheart, I really do understand where you're coming from, but what I mean about the rumors, is more of your image. When we graduate, we'll be adults and sometimes girlfriends and boyfriends live together for years before they get married, but we're not a regular couple. You are in the public eye. How many parents would let their thirteen year old daughters listen to you or like you, once they find out that the young adult celebrity their daughter is crushing on, is living with his girlfriend, probably sexually active and not married? To the general public it wouldn't be a big deal, but to a lot of conservative families, like Quinn's, for example, would not accept that," Rachel explained.

"I get that, I do, but I've _never_ conformed to the cookie-cutter-pop-star image and I never plan to. It's my life and no one can tell me how to live it, except me, and well, my parents," he said, glancing at them, "but if you're _that_ concerned about my 'image', I know a way we could erase your concerns," he said honestly.

"You do? Really?" She asked surprised.

Noah smirked, "yeah, I do. We could get married as soon as we graduate and then we wouldn't have to worry about any 'rumors'," he added, waiting to see his parents' reactions.

Ethan shook his head, smirking at Noah, "I expected that conversation to go in that direction," he admitted.

"And it's not like it hasn't been talked about before," Deborah added, taking a deep breath, "but that still doesn't make in any less shocking. Getting married at a young age, celebrity or not, is a big decision," she said looking at him, "and it isn't something to take lightly, but this is not the place to be discussing personal matters, so when we're in private we will talk about it," she added in a stronger, more serious tone, "and wipe that smirk off your face, Ethan Michael!"

"I agree!" Rachel commented, "I can imagine you only said that to shock your parents, but you shouldn't joke about things like this! I want to be with you forever, Noah, but only if you can take our relationship seriously. It's not something to joke about!" She huffed, knowing most of why he continued that part of the conversation was to tease his parents.

"Who said I'm joking? I'm not! I am being honest. I want to marry you," he replied.

Though Rachel was really shocked that they were talking about marriage, she couldn't help the butterflies fluttering in her stomach or her racing heart, but tried to remain calm, "that is one horrible proposal, then, Noah Aaron Puckerman," she said.

"Baby, that is not a proposal at all. I'm just telling you what I've been thinking about for months, so you know how I really feel. I know it's a big decision and we do have a lot of things to talk about, but what I do know, for sure, is I want to marry you, Rachel," he said honestly, hoping they would all see that he wasn't just saying that for the fun of it.

Rachel thought of everything that had gone on for the past few months and realized she felt the same way; she knew it would not be something they could just jump into, but she did want to talk to him more about it, "I want the same thing, Noah, but I would really like to discuss this when we're not apart."

Noah thought for a moment, "yeah, me, too," he agreed, "so, how about you talk to your dads and I'll talk to my parents, because I know they're going to want to continue this conversation when we get to LA," he said, then smiled, "and when we get home, you and I can talk."

"I'd really like that," Rachel smiled, blushing.

Deborah held out her hand, "let me talk to her."

Noah raised a curious eyebrow at her, "why?"

"Your dad and I didn't get a chance to talk to them when we picked you up this morning," she explained.

"Oh," Noah sighed, "um, Rach, mom wants to talk to you. Here she is," he added, reluctantly handing over the phone.

"Hey, Rachel," Deborah said, once she put it to her ear.

"Hey, mom. I hope our conversation doesn't cause any problems," she admitted, immediately nervous about what had been discussed.

"It won't Rachel, but it does bring up a lot of questions and concerns, but we've got plenty of time to deal with that. I actually wanted to speak to you about Arin," she said, getting to the point, because she knew that they'd have to board soon and Noah would want to say a proper 'see you later'.

"Oh, alright. What about?" Rachel asked.

"You're picking her up from school today, right?"

"I am," Rachel nodded, "is that alright?"

"Of course," Deborah laughed lightly, "why wouldn't it be? We gave her teacher a picture of you and your dads, so she was familiar with the three of you, so she's not confused when one of us isn't there to get Arin," she explained, "now, school gets out at three, but tons of parents pick up their kids, so you should definitely get there before school's out, so you can find parking and you actually have to get out of the car and wait on the sidewalk in front of the school, so she can find you. You'll see other parents there... After school, just make sure that she gets her homework done," she continued. "We'll be landing in LA around eight, so by the time we land, get our bags and are on our way to the hotel, we'll call probably closer to nine. We usually let her stay up no later than nine and she'll want to hear from us before she goes to bed, so that's okay if she's up a little later. We'll try and call as soon as we can."

Noah smirked, "I'll be calling her as soon as we get off the plane," he said, "so I guess I could say something to Arin," he sighed dramatically next to her.

Deborah laughed lightly, "Noah, you love your sister. Don't make it sound like you don't."

"Alright, but she still is a pain sometimes," he muttered. "Can I talk to my girlfriend again?"

"Yes, just give me a second," Deborah replied, returning her focus back to Rachel, "Rachel, your dads have our flight information, so if Arin is curious, they should be able to look up our flight online to see where we are."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," Rachel replied, holding back her laughter, but she could tell Noah was getting antsy, and as much as she loved talking to Deborah, the time she and Noah had to talk was limited.

"Thank you," Deborah replied, "we really appreciate you guys taking care of her this week."

"You're welcome, and we're happy to have her over. It'll give me a chance to see what it's like to have a sibling," Rachel added.

"_Flight 533 to Los Angeles International Airport now boarding all first glass passengers at gate 3B... Flight 533 to LAX now boarding all first class passengers at gate 3B..._"

"Mom, please," Noah begged, holding out his hand.

Deborah said a quick 'goodbye' to Rachel and then handed the phone back to Noah, "make it quick."

Noah nodded and put the phone to his ear, "you still there, baby?" He asked, standing up and gathering his things.

"I am," Rachel replied, "I heard the announcement," she added softly.

"Yeah," he sighed, "sorry babe. I wish we could talk longer."

"It's okay, Noah, I understand. I'm glad I got to talk to you before you left," she admitted with a smile, "and I know you'll call as soon as you can."

"I will," he promised, "I miss you so much, baby."

Rachel smiled, nodding in agreement, "me too, sweetheart and it's not 'goodbye', either. Just 'see you later'," she explained.

"I definitely agree and I'm sure I'll sleep most of the flight, so I'll definitely see you later," he grinned.

Though she was shocked at his comment, she didn't disagree, because during her nap, she had a dream of them together, "you will," she nodded, "just like I saw you in mine."

"You were dreaming about me?" He asked, following his parents over to the small line forming of first-class passengers. "What was it about?"

"Maybe when you have more time, I'll tell you," she replied with a smile.

He sighed, "yeah, guess I should go... I love you, baby," he said honestly.

"I love you, too, Noah. Have a safe trip and I'll talk to you when you're in California," she said, knowing he didn't have long.

"You will," he nodded, moving closer to the front of the line, "we're almost on the plane, so I gotta go. Later, babe," he said and when she said the same thing back, he reluctantly ended the call and slid it into his pocket. "_California, here I come. I just wish Rachel could have come with,_" he thought, handing over his boarding pass and after a moment, followed his parents down the ramp to the plane.

...

Rachel hit the end button on her phone and sighed, hating that it'd be over eight hours before she'd be able to talk to her boyfriend again. Sliding off her bed, she slid it into her pocket and heard her stomach growl, "_I should probably go eat something,_" she thought, remembering that she hadn't eaten much that morning. She and the Puckermans had all be busy getting ready, so they all had a quick breakfast, and she planned to eat once Ethan and Deborah picked up Noah, but she had gotten emotional and chose to take a nap, so it was definitely time for lunch.

Slipping her feet into her soft slippers, she headed downstairs to the kitchen to find Alan just getting a soda from the fridge, "hey dad," she said softly.

"Hey, sweetheart. Are you feeling any better?" He asked, closing the fridge.

"A little bit. The nap helped and so did talking to Noah," she admitted, slipping her arms around him in a hug.

Alan returned her hug and kissed her cheek, "I'm glad," he replied, "I take it they got to the airport alright?"

"Yes," she nodded and smiled, "he called once they got through security and we talked until they had to board," she explained, "oh, and I also talked to Deborah briefly."

"You did? What for? Is everything alright?" He wondered.

Rachel nodded, "yes, but she just wanted to tell me a few things about Arin; you know, when I pick her up and stuff. We had already talked about it, but I just went along with it, because I figured she'd forgotten we had."

"I don't think she forgot," Alan grinned, "she's a parent. She's worried about leaving Arin and wants to make sure things go smoothly while she's gone," he explained.

"That makes sense," Rachel replied, smiling. "Where's daddy?" She asked, realizing he hadn't joined them yet.

"He went to the store to pick up some groceries," he replied.

"Oh, alright," she nodded, "I hope he gets back soon, because I want to talk to you both about something Noah and I talked about before Arin gets out of school," she blushed.

Alan glanced at the time, "he left about an hour ago, so he should be home soon and this discussion wouldn't have anything to do with you and Noah getting married, would it?"

Rachel gasped, "how did you know?" Her eyes widened, feeling her stomach flip-flop.

"Ethan let us know you guys were having that conversation. He wanted to warn us so we weren't caught off guard like he and Deborah were. I admit, your daddy and I have discussed you two getting married, but I don't think either of us expected you two to talk about it so soon," Alan explained.

As if on cue, the front door opened, startling Rachel, but they both realized that David was home, so the two moved to the door and helped him carry in the shopping bags and put things away.

Once the groceries were put away, they pulled together a quick lunch and when they sat down, David looked at his husband, "Alan, did you happen to get an interesting text message from Ethan earlier?"

Alan glanced at Rachel, seeing her cheeks turning pink and ducking her head, "the one about our daughter and her boyfriend talking about getting married?" Alan asked with a grin, turning to David.

"Yeah, that one," he replied, glancing at Rachel, "and as much as that should scare me, it doesn't, though how did you get on that topic?"

Rachel took a deep breath, her blush continuing to grow, "Noah and I were talking about how this won't be the only time we'll have to be apart. While we're still in high school, not so much, but once we go to New York, I'll be in school and won't be able to miss a lot of it to follow him around, so we'll have to get used to the separation. His parents manage it, it sucks being apart, but they make it work, so I know Noah and I could do the same. We admitted we want to live together, but with our age and not being married, I wasn't sure if it'd be allowed by his manager, but he assured me he didn't care what his manager felt, as long as our parents were okay with it. I was still worried about his 'image' and he said if it was such a concern, we could fix it easily by getting married after we graduate, since I will be going through the running start program to finish my credits, so I can graduate at the same time he does," she explained. "Now, I know it's a shock, but this isn't the first time we've have talked about getting married, we've just never gone into any details before. We both know that getting married is a big decision and something we really need to think about, and he told us that he has thought about it a lot and really does want to marry me," she blushed, "and I really want to marry him, too, but even if we say that, we still know there are a lot of things to talk about," she added, "and we ended it there, because we want to be together when we continue to discuss it."

"Good idea to wait until your together to continue talking and we trust you with Noah, so we would not have a problem with you two living together at all," Alan admitted honestly, and David nodded in agreement, "on the other hand, knowing that one day we'll be letting you go is going to be awfully hard, no matter how much we prepare for it. Though, you and Noah talking about marriage or living together is not a shock," he added.

"Also, I think now-a-days, couples are living together before they get married, so it's not as bad as it was years ago. Back then it was not appropriate to be sexually active before marriage and now, couples live together for years before they get married, maybe even having a few kids together," David paused, "I'm not giving you any ideas because Deborah, Ethan, dad and I are no where ready to be grandparents yet, but you get the idea," he added.

Rachel nodded, taking in what they said, "thank you for supporting my relationship with Noah. I don't know what I'd do if you guys didn't," she started with.

"We know he loves you and makes you happy. That's what we want for you and we're happy you found it," Alan told her.

She smiled, "I am, too. I really thought I'd be in my twenties before I dated," she blushed, for the first time admitting one of the fears she had before Noah came along, "but to what else you guys said, I do understand that it's a big deal and you're right, daddy, couples do live together for years before getting married, but they're normal couples with regular jobs and lives; Noah is in the spotlight. What would that look like to his teen fans? I mean, I'm a year younger than him, so when I graduate, I'll be a month away from turning eighteen and he'll be almost nineteen; that's super young to be living together, isn't it? I don't want him to lose fans or have people turn against him because of his choice to not marry me and still have us live together," she admitted, "I don't want him to get in trouble."

"We get what you're saying, sweetheart, but you keep bringing up his image. You and Noah have to get married when you're ready and not let anyone tell you differently. His image shouldn't matter. What Noah and you do in your private lives is just that, private. You can't let any outside factors change what you want. Yes, he is in the public eye, but you can't worry about what others think. No matter what he decides to do, he's going to have people who don't agree, but that's life," David said to her honestly.

"I'd never marry him just for his 'image'," she said firmly, "I love him and can not imagine my life without him, but I worry because I don't want him to get in trouble with his record label or manager, or be the cause of problems with fans."

"Don't worry about that kind of stuff. When the time comes for you two to get married, you need to be doing it because you can't stand being without him and because you love him. That's it. The rest will fall in place after; his record company and manager will just have to 'deal with it', I suppose you could say," Alan explained.

"I do love him and want to be with him; that's the reason why I want to marry him," she said with a smile, "I try not to worry, but I can't help it. He tells me the same things you guys have; he's always done what he wanted and isn't going to let anyone stop him from that, but I guess I just want to be prepared for all angles of what could happen," she added.

"You can't prepare for everything, sweetheart, sometimes you just have to follow your heart and together, you and Noah will be able to get through it," David replied.

Rachel smiled, "we can," she agreed.

"Though this is all just talk, you mentioned that Noah had been thinking about it before, have you done any thinking on it?" Alan asked curiously.

"A bit," Rachel nodded, "I mean, there are so many options and pros and cons for us getting married right after we graduate or waiting a few years," she admitted.

"There are," David agreed, "tell us what's good about getting married as soon as you guys graduate," he requested.

"Well, once Noah graduates, he's supposed to go back to New York and start recording his fourth album, so if we got married over that summer, just after I turn eighteen and before his nineteenth birthday, we'd have time to get married, go on a honeymoon of some sort and be in New York by the time I'd have to start school and he could start recording. The following summer his album would be out and he'd be on a summer tour and I could go with him, as his wife, and I wouldn't miss school. Noah and I are both mature for our age and I know my feelings will never change for him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him, so I don't see why we'd have to wait and if we did get married after we graduated, we'd have plenty of time to be a couple before we settled down and started a family, because we do want one, but I know neither of us are ready to bring a child into the world just yet," she said honestly.

The two fathers nodded, understanding what she was saying, "you do have some valid points, but what about waiting a few years?" Alan asked.

Rachel thought for a moment, "you know, the more I think about it, it doesn't make any sense to wait. I mean, the summer after we graduate may be the last time Noah really has a long portion of free time. He'll be recording, traveling for interviews and tours, and so much more, so he's not going to be in one place for long and I know it's going to be hard on us, but at least we'd be already married and getting used to the strain, so when we are together, we have time for us and can prepare for our lives together and I can still travel with him sometimes. That way when the day comes that I get pregnant, we're not still getting used to being married or dealing with him being gone so much," she commented, "because it'll be hard to travel with a baby. It is possible, but a lot harder," she added, "and though I pray this will never happen, if we are married right away and something happens, I'm legally his wife and can make medical decisions for him. I don't think his parents would push me away if something bad happened, but at least if we're married, it's a protection for it. If I'm just his girlfriend, I'm not anything legal to him. The same goes for me. If I'm in New York and something happens and we're not married, and you guys are here in Ohio, he can't make decisions about me if we're just dating," she explained.

"Wow, you have thought about this. You're thinking of a lot of things I was concerned about," Alan commented.

David nodded, "me, too, but I do have one question you haven't really discussed. I get that you two plan to wait to have children, because neither of you are ready, and that's a great plan, but we're aware that even if you and Noah don't get married right away, that you will be sexually active and no matter how much protection you use, there is still a chance you could get pregnant. Married or not, if you did get pregnant before you finished university, what would you do?" David asked, "because no matter how much you 'plan' for a child, sometimes they happen when it's least expected," he told her.

"I'm not getting an abortion, if that's what you mean," she said honestly, looking at them.

"Oh, no sweetheart," David shook his head, reaching over the island to take her hand, "I didn't mean that at all. We'd never ask you to do that. I should have chosen my words better," he admitted, "I just was curious if you'd thought about the chances of getting pregnant before you finish school. You've dreamed your whole life of going to school in New York and then pursuing a spot on Broadway. If you got pregnant, what would change? Would you take time off to have the baby and be a mom and housewife, or would you continue to go to school and find daycare or some form of care for your baby?"

Rachel open her mouth to respond, but then stopped, realizing that hadn't crossed her mind, "I don't know," she admitted, taking a moment to come up with a thought. "I definitely want to finish school, so I guess it would depend on when I get pregnant. I may have to take off a quarter or two, but I'd go back as soon as I could. As for Broadway, I don't know. I'd try for it, but depending on my schedule and Noah's, it may be difficult for a while, because I'm not going to just hire some stranger to care for our child and I can't expect Noah to always watch them," she said, "so I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Yes, that isn't something that needs to be decided right now, but it is something to think about," Alan agreed, "and all of what we discussed is something you need to bring up to Noah, too," he added.

"I know," Rachel nodded, "I plan to, but we just want to wait until he gets home before we do. It's not a discussion we should be having over the phone," she paused, "so you guys are okay with us talking about our future so early?"

"Of course we are," Alan nodded, "you two can talk about anything you want. It's good to discuss things like this and it's great to know you both are thinking long-term for your relationship," he added.

"But, it's a huge commitment," David started, motioning between him and Alan, "for us, we just want to make sure that you guys are thinking of all the possibilities and I'm sure Deborah and Ethan are going to be talking to Noah about the same things. Talking about something is one thing, following through is another. We love Noah and would be happy if you two got married, but only if it's what you both want and is for the right reasons."

"That's fair," Rachel smiled, standing up and moving around the island to hug them, "I love you both so much, "and I promise you guys we'll get married for the right reasons. Besides, he hasn't even proposed yet."

The two men laughed at her comment, "oh, he will," Alan smirked, "there is no doubt."

"Very true," David agreed.

As Rachel smiled and pulled from their hugs, she glanced at the clock and saw what time it was, "oh, I better go get ready. I need to leave soon to go get Arin from school," she said.

"Alright. You don't want to be late and Deborah told us that it's best to get there early, because it's a busy parking lot," David added.

Rachel nodded, "yes, she told me the same thing," she replied, finishing off the last bit of what she'd been eating and headed upstairs to her room.

...

After returning home that morning, Rachel had changed into workout clothes that were comfortable, but were not something she normally wear out, so she changed again and returned to the kitchen with her purse and let her dads know she was leaving. She promised them she'd be careful and that she and Arin would come right home.

Leaving the house, Rachel drove towards Arin's school; it wasn't too far away, so she managed to pull into the parking lot and find a spot just after two-thirty. It was too early to go walk up to meet Arin, so she stayed in the car with it running to keep the heat on, since it was just above freezing outside. While she was sitting there, her mind began to wander to her boyfriend, "_I really hope he gets out and does something fun while he's in California,_" she thought, "_he needs to._"

With her mind on the subject, she pulled out her cell phone and looked for Taylor's number and hit 'send', hoping she wasn't interrupting anything. After a third ring, she didn't think he'd answer, so she was thinking of what to say in a message and then heard him answer with a quick 'hello', "hey, Taylor. It's Rachel... Rachel Berry, Noah Puckerman's girlfriend," she said, unable to remember if he had her number in his phone.

Taylor laughed lightly, "hey Rachel, I knew it was was you," he smiled, "how are you? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, things are alright. Thanks for asking," she replied with a smile, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Nope, just hanging out at home. It's quiet. Makena is at school and my parents are out," he commented, "I was listening to music when you called; that's why I to took me so long to answer."

"It's okay. I actually couldn't remember if you had my number in your phone," she told him.

"Oh yeah, I've had it for a while," he nodded.

"Hey, um," she blushed, "I have a question for you."

"Oh yeah? What is it?" He asked curiously.

"Could you get Noah out to do something while he's there?" She asked softly, "I hate to ask, but he's been through so much lately and we miss each other, and I know he's not up for doing a lot of 'fun' stuff, but he needs it," she explained.

"Well, he and his parents are coming over to our house for dinner tomorrow. I know that Saturday, Sunday and Monday are pretty tied up for him, but I'll try to get him out tomorrow. I have a radio interview tomorrow morning, but I'll come up with something. In fact, I'll take him to the interview and then we'll go out and do something," he replied, "I know he has homework and I'm not going to stop him from doing it, but you're right, he does need to get out for a while."

"Thank you, Taylor," she smiled, "I hate to ask you, because I'm sure busy, but-"

"Rachel," Taylor smirked, cutting her off, "don't worry about it. Noah and I friends; that's what friends do," he told her honestly.

She nodded and saw it was close to the end of the school day, so she turned her car off and slid out, "you're right. Noah is really lucky to have true friends like you, Finn and the guys."

Taylor smiled, "it is and I know Noah would do the same thing for me, if the tables were turned," he added. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Arin's school. I'm picking her up. She's staying with my dads and I while Noah, Deborah and Ethan are gone," she explained.

"Oh, okay. That's cool," Taylor smirked, "tell her 'hi' for me."

"I will," she said, moving up to the sidewalk where parents and older siblings were waiting for their students.

"What time does their flight land?" Taylor asked.

"About five California time," she said, "unless it's delayed."

"Alright. I'll make sure I call him tonight to tell him about tomorrow, so he can get up. I have to be at the studio by eight," he explained.

"Okay," Rachel nodded, "thank you, Taylor. What radio show is it for?"

"Ryan Seacrest," he replied, hearing a beeping in his ear, "ah crap, hey Rachel, I'm gonna have to go. My dad is calling on the other line."

"Oh, it's alright. I shouldn't be talking on the phone right now, either," she admitted, "Thank you again, Taylor and talk to you later."

"You're welcome. Take it easy, Rachel," he said, switching over to his other line.

Rachel smiled and slid her phone back into her pocket, moving closer to the group of people gathered.

...

At promptly three-pm, school let out and kids began running out to the sidewalk, some walking home, some catching their bus and others meeting their parents, siblings or caretakers. Rachel glanced around, unsure where Arin would be coming from, but after a few moments, she heard her name and after glancing around, she saw Arin skipping over to her and hugging her, "hey, Arin!" Rachel said, returning her hug, "how was school?"

Arin shrugged, "it was school. Are my parents and brother in California yet?" She asked.

"Not yet," Rachel shook her head, "they won't be there for a while," she explained. "Are you ready to go back to my place?"

"Yeah!" Arin nodded.

"Alright, let's go," Rachel smiled, motioning towards where she'd parked.

Arin took her right hand and led her towards the parking lot, "did you cry when Noah left?" She asked softly.

Rachel glanced at her, "um, yes, I did," she admitted.

"When dad and Noah would leave, me and mom would cry a lot," she commented.

"I bet you guys did," Rachel agreed, "do you cry now?"

"Sometimes, but not as much. I cried a little at school this morning when they walked me to class, but I'm okay now. We're going to have fun this week!" She said.

"That's my plan," she smiled, unlocking her doors and letting Arin slide into the backseat.

"Awesome!" Arin smiled and buckled her belt while Rachel closed the door and slid into the driver's seat, "do you have everything you need for your homework? And is there anything you forgot at home you need? We can drive out there and get it," she commented.

"Uh. I don't know. I can't remember everything I brought. Mom packed most of my stuff," she admitted, "but I have my homework stuff," Arin replied.

"Okay, then how about this," Rachel backed out of her spot and once she was on the road home, she continued, "we'll go back to my place, we can do some homework, you can unpack a little and after dinner, if you need something from home, we can go get it," she suggested.

"Okay," Arin nodded, "sounds great!"

...

Returning to the Berry's house, Rachel and Arin sat down in the living room and got to their homework. Rachel was no where near done with all the work she'd missed, but was only doing it to pass time while Arin was working on hers.

It didn't take long for Arin to finish her few math worksheets and practice her spelling words, so once she was done, she and Rachel headed upstairs to unpack her overnight bags a little.

Arin was satisfied with what Deborah had packed and assured Rachel she didn't need anything from her house, so it saved them a trip out to the Puckerman's. As dinnertime arrived, the two joined David and Alan and sat down to dinner together

When Rachel was home, she usually was the one making dinner, so it was ready when her dads got home from work, but because of the cast on her arm, it was difficult for her to do a lot of cooking, so her dads had been taking care of the meals in the house, but since neither of them were big on cooking, they kept to simple meals that everyone didn't mind eating and that night was hamburgers, french fries and a salad.

"I think we should all watch a movie," David commented as they began to clear the table.

"Sounds good to me. Arin, you can pick. All of our movies are in the living room," Rachel said, motioning to the rack of movies.

"Really? Okay! I'll pick out something," Arin said with a smile, moving over to their video selection.

Rachel helped her dads clear the rest of the dishes and then went back into the living room to see Arin reading the back of a case. "Did you find something?" Rachel asked.

"Yep," Arin nodded and showed her the cover of a romantic comedy.

"Awesome. That's a great one," Rachel replied.

Setting up the DVD player, Rachel and Arin waited the guys to join them and once they did, the four settled in to watch the movie.

...

Rachel was the only one who had seen the movie before, so she tried to keep from talking through it and they did have to pause the movie a few times to explain somethings to Arin, but everyone enjoyed it.

"What time is it?" Arin asked.

Pulling her cellphone out of her pocket, Rachel glanced at the time, "eight-fifteen. Noah and your parents should be calling soon. You want to go up and get ready for bed, so when they do you can talk to them and then go to sleep?" Rachel asked Arin.

"Sure," Arin nodded, standing up, "I'll come back downstairs when I'm done."

"Okay, let us know if you need any help," Rachel told her.

"I will," Arin replied, heading upstairs to her room.

Once Rachel heard Arin walking around upstairs, she sighed, "do you think they've made it yet? I mean, should we check their flight information to make sure nothing has happened?"

The two dads exchanged smirks and then glanced at Rachel, "I'm sure they're alright sweetheart. He probably just wants to make sure that he doesn't have to hang up and call back later when they get somewhere. Just give them some time," David said softly.

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded, "I know. I just don't like waiting to hear from him. I'm so used to seeing him or being able to call him when I want to talk."

"Noah feels the same way, sweetheart. He'll call as soon as he can," Alan added.

Closing her eyes and relaxing back against the couch, she nodded again, "_I just need to find something to occupy myself until he calls,_" she thought, opening her eyes to look around the room. Landing on her school work, "I guess I could do some homework while I wait," she admitted.

Rachel's dads agreed that was a good idea and got up, moving back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up for the night.

Arin came back downstairs a few moments later, dressed in her pajamas and ready for bed. Rachel let her watch TV and just as she settled on a rerun of a Hannah Montana episode, Rachel's phone began to sing her current ringtone for Noah, 'Sweet Caroline' by Neil Diamond, so she quickly reached for it and hit the answer button, "hey Noah!" She smiled.

"Hey baby, we're here. I would have called sooner, but mom and dad talked me into waiting until we were in the car, on the way to the hotel, which we are now," he explained.

"Oh, it's okay," she blushed, "I figured you'd call as soon as you could, but I was a bit worried," she admitted.

"Worried that I wouldn't call? You crazy?" He smirked, "I feel so much better hearing your voice," he told her honestly.

"Me too," she agreed.

"Hey, before we continue, mom and dad wanna talk to my sister. Is she still up?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, she is. I'll give her the phone," Rachel replied handing over the phone to a waiting Arin, "they want to talk to you," she explained.

...

For a short time, Arin talked to her brother and their parents and then she passed the phone over to David, who spoke with Deborah, assuring her that everything was going well and promised to call if they needed anything, before Rachel finally got her phone back to talk to her boyfriend. She took a moment to tell her dads 'goodnight' and she loved them, before following Arin upstairs and helped her get situated in bed, making Arin promise to get her during the night if she needed anything, before Rachel left and moved into her room, closing the door, "Noah, you still there?" She asked hopeful.

"Yeah, we're just heading into the hotel now. What are you doing?"

She shrugged, "well, I just got into my room, so I was thinking of relaxing and talking to you," she explained, a smile growing on her lips.

"Sounds like a great idea to me. How was the rest of your day, after we talked last?"

Rachel moved over to her dresser and dug out some pajamas, "it was okay. Spoke to dad and daddy for a bit, then went to pick up Arin at school. Came back here, we did homework and had dinner and the four of us watched a movie. It ended a little bit before you called."

"Oh yeah? What movie did you watch?" He asked, "and we're about to go on an elevator, so I might lose you, but if I do, I'll call you back as soon as we get to our floor."

"Okay, and the movie was '27 Dresses' with Katherine Heigl and James Marsden," she replied, taking the phone away from her ear and putting him on speakerphone, so she could change.

Noah thought for a moment, "I've heard of it, but I've never watched it. What's it about?" He asked, stepping off the elevator, following his parents to their suite.

Rachel picked up her phone and turned off the speaker, then pulled her blankets back and slid into bed, "it's about a girl who lives in New York City and has been a bridesmaid for 27 friends, yet she's never found anyone to date. She has feelings for her boss, but then her sister shows up and starts dating her boss, and they end up engaged within a few weeks and she is having issues with it. She also meets a guy who turns out to be a writer and they start dating. Though he's falling for her, he writes an article about how she's kind of always the bridesmaid and never the bride. He tries to stop it being printed, because he realized he shouldn't have written it, but his boss prints it anyway and they break-up, but after some time apart, she forgives him and it ends with them getting married," she explained.

"Nice," he smiled, "we'll have to watch it when I get home," he admitted, moving into his room of the suite.

"Really?" She asked surprised, not expecting that.

"Yeah. Romantic movies are usually not on the top of my list of ones I wanna watch, but if my girl likes 'em, then I'll watch them," he said, "and it sounds cool."

"It is. It's a very good movie and that means a lot, Noah. And I'll even sit through your action movies in return," she added with a grin.

"This is why I love you. We're two people, but we're willing to compromise to make our relationship work," he replied.

Rachel smiled brightly at his words, "I love you, too, Noah, so much. I know we'll always be able to make this work... Even if we have to be apart sometimes," she said honestly.

"As much as it sucks to be apart, yes, I agree with you, baby," he commented, unzipping his suitcase, "what are you doing?"

"I'm laying in bed. I figured I'd go to sleep after we talked," she told him.

"Or we could talk until you fall asleep. I'm just unpacking a bit," he told her, "and it might help you sleep."

"We could," she agreed, relaxing into her pillows even more.

...

Noah and Rachel continued to talk for about twenty minutes, keeping their conversation positive and light; talking about movies they should watch together when he gets home and who he'd probably see, talk to or meet at the awards. He could tell she was starting to drift off when her answers were soft and short, so he lightly sang the chorus of 'Someone To Fall Back On' to her and after a few silent moments from the other end, he knew she had fallen asleep. Whispering, "goodnight baby, sleep well," to her, he ended their call and created a text message with "I love you, baby. Goodnight. Miss you so much!" in it and sent it to her, hoping it didn't wake her up, but wanted it to be the first thing she saw when she did wake up.

"_I really hope she can get some sleep. She needs it and I feel so helpless; I'm not there to be with her... Being apart sucks! The timing for the awards is crap. Sure, they're important to me, but she is more important. She's my life and I can't do anything to help her, except talk to her on the phone or text her,_" he thought, continuing to unpack some of his things, "_I know what happened to her is a fluke, but still; the timing stinks,_" he sighed, glancing at his phone's wallpaper of them in New York, "_it's just a week. We can do this, baby._"

...

A/N4: I hope you enjoyed! I promise I have not abandoned you! It's been a long few months. When I last updated my fics, in late-May to early-June, I was doing okay, but my medical issues flared up and in mid-June other things were added to my plate. Since it's the summer, it's road-trip season for me, so I've been hanging out with my friends and am also trying to get my business up and running to sell my crafts, my mom is out of school and we have a lot of things around the house we're trying to do, going places with her and taking her to Seattle for her cancer check-ups (she's still cancer free! Yay!) so my time online has been limited. All of this has built up, so I usually only have the energy to email and hang out on Tumblr. I just went to the doctor and am working on getting some of these things straightened out, so I'm getting there. Just bare with me, please. I promise I will get to reviews and fics when I can, but it may be a while. I love you all and thank you so much for your support and for reading my fics! Don't forget, aside from my few WIPs, I also have several complete fics that you could read.

A/N5: There is a 'Puckleberry Awards' going on at LiveJournal - here's the link to the nomination post - ( prfanficawards . livejournal . com / 789 . html ). They have numerous categories and you can vote for up to 3 fics per category. Originally the nominations would only be until July 15th, but they have been extended to July 31st. There are a ton of Puckleberry fics and authors out there and I'm not sure who knows about this (I heard about it on Tumblr) and I'm letting you all know. You have to be a member of LiveJournal to comment and all you guys have to do is copy and paste the nomination 'form' into a comment on that link above and type in the names of the fics and authors information (links to fics of some kind) and submit it. You can also post the form in the 'askbox' on the Tumblr for the awards, but you have to be a member of Tumblr. If you are not a member of either, I think you can email it, but I'm not 100% on that one, but I'm sure you could contact the creator and ask. There is only one 'WIP' category, so 'Out of the Blue', 'Starlight', 'Broken Road' and 'Returning Home' only fit into that category, but remember, I have several complete fics you can nominate (if you'd like): 'Fly Me To The Moon', 'Became The Summer', 'Leave Out All The Rest', 'Paper and 'Gotta Start Somewhere' and I'm SapphireEJ on FF and SapphiresFic on LJ - the more information you give them, the easier it is for the people doing the awards to find the fics. Don't feel obligated to nominate me, but if you'd like to, that'd be awesome.

...


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Noah felt like he'd just gotten to sleep when his phone howled, which was his ringtone for Taylor. Knowing it was a text message, he reached for it and looked at the bright screen, seeing the words '_Get up and be ready by 7am. We'll be out until dinner at my place._'

"_What is he talking about?_" Noah wondered looking at the time to see it was just after 5am. Hitting the reply button, he wrote what he was thinking; wondering what Taylor was talking about and sent the message.

A few moments later his phone was howling and this time the message said, '_You're joining me on 'On-Air With Ryan Seacrest' this morning from 8-10 and then we're gonna go hang out. Your parents already know._'

Noah raised a curious eyebrow at the message and now that he was more awake, he tried to figure out if he'd forgotten something he had been told, "_no, they never told me anything about this,_" he thought, getting up and moving out of his room and knocked on his parents door. Not hearing a response, he pushed it open and walked over to his dad, nudging him until he woke up and showed him Taylor's message, "did you tell me about this last night?" He asked softly, trying not to wake his mom.

Ethan shook his head, "no. Taylor called after you went to bed. He wants you to join him on the show and then the two of you can go hang out after. You should go have some fun," he replied quietly.

"But I have homework to do and..."

"Noah, your homework will get done. You'll have plenty of time. We're here and you really should go have some fun. You've been through a lot the past few weeks and it'd be good to get out for a while," Ethan told him honestly.

Deborah stirred with all the talking and turned to look at them, "what's going on?"

"Apparently I'm going to be on the radio this morning," Noah commented, still confused.

"Oh, have fun," she smiled, "see you tonight when you guys get to the Lautner's," she added, rolling over and going back to sleep.

Noah and Ethan laughed lightly at her, and Ethan stood up, guiding Noah out of the room and into the suite, "the show is at eight. I think he said he was going to be on until ten, then after that you guys are free to go do whatever you want until around four."

"Do Tim and Alex know?" Noah asked.

"They're not going. Taylor is going to pick you up, alone, and you guys will head to the studio. They'll have security for you guys and after the show you guys won't have any adults tagging along, so you can actually go out and enjoy yourselves," Ethan explained.

"But, we're not home in Lima. This is LA," Noah replied, looking a bit nervous.

"Yes, but no one knows where you're going. Hell, you guys don't even know. It'd be different if it was an event or something, but it's not. I'm sure there may be some paparazzi around, but hundreds of other celebrities go out and do their own thing in LA and don't have a problem. You guys will be fine," Ethan assured him.

"If you think so. This is the first time I've ever gone out in LA without you or the guys. It's going to be kind of weird," Noah admitted.

"Yeah, but I have faith you guys will be fine and besides; do you really want your dad tagging along?" He asked with a grin.

Noah smirked, "we wouldn't mind, but I see what you're getting at."

Ethan nodded, "yeah, so go get ready for the day and just have fun. Be a teenager, but be responsible and if you guys have issues, call me or if it gets really bad, the police."

"I don't think it'll get that bad, but I will," Noah replied, nodding at him.

...

When Rachel's alarm went off at six am, she was already awake. She'd slept for a few hours, but as her dreams became the same as she was feeling in reality, missing her boyfriend, she couldn't sleep and spent most of the night tossing and turning. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but had hoped she could manage more sleep.

Getting up, she helped Arin get ready and took her to school, dropping her off by seven-forty-five and returned home by eight. She was tired, but knew she wouldn't sleep, so after changing into comfortable clothes to lounge around in, she settled in the living room and started on some of her homework, passing the time; knowing with the time difference that her boyfriend would probably still be asleep for a few more hours in LA.

Since she hadn't slept much, she didn't get more than a few hours into her homework before she started feeling tired, so she stretched out on the couch and thought about taking a nap when her phone beeped. Reaching for it, she saw the message was from her boyfriend and the time, just after ten-thirty there in Ohio, still pretty early for him to be up in LA, about seven-thirty, so she opened the message, "_good morning baby! Hope you slept well. I didn't get a lot of sleep. How are you doing?_"

Smiling at the message she replied back with, "_good morning! I didn't sleep very well, but I got a few hours. I really wish you were here, or I was there. Why are you up so early?_"

"_Taylor is taking me to his radio interview with Ryan Seacrest. It's from 11-1 your time. They broadcast it online, if you want to hear us,_" he replied moments later.

Rachel smiled, remembering Taylor mentioning he had an interview that day, "_that sounds fun. I will definitely listen. What are you doing after?_"

"_We don't know. Go be teenagers somewhere? We haven't talked about it. We're almost to the KIIS FM studio now,_" Noah's response read.

Rachel got up and headed to her room to get her laptop and returned to the living room, turning her computer on and letting it load, "_I hope you guys do have some fun today. Is there anything you want to do?_"

"_I haven't really thought about it, actually. I never expected to get this much free time while we were here. We're at the studio now; we should be on soon._"

"_I'm sure you guys will come up with something to do. I'm already listening to Ryan's broadcast. Can't wait to hear your voice,_" she replied back.

...

When Taylor pulled his car into the parking lot of the radio station, the two teens saw several fans standing outside the main entrance. Along with the fans were some assistants and security guards, and when one noticed him driving, he motioned towards a parking area and Taylor drove towards it, parking in an empty spot.

Noah took a deep breath, unsure if he'd be recognized or not and held out his hand, "give me your phone."

Taylor raised a curious eyebrow at him, "why?"

"If I have your phone, they'll think I'm your PA. They're here to see you, not 'Puck' and I'm not ready for this just yet," Noah admitted.

"Yeah, I don't blame you," Taylor agreed, pulling out his phone and handing it to his friend, "so if you're my PA does this mean I can order you around?" He asked with a grin.

Noah smirked, "don't push it, dude," he replied, tugging his baseball cap down further, so it shaded his eyes and face a little more.

Taylor laughed, "well, good luck. I'm not making any promises, but if you can slip by without being recognized, awesome."

"Yeah," Noah nodded, pulling his own phone out of his pocket to read Rachel's last message and smiled, "_I can't wait to hear yours, too. I'll call you as soon as we're done at the studio,_" he replied back to her and then slid his phone back into his pocket. "Ready?" He asked, keeping Taylor's phone in his hand.

"I am, but are you?" Taylor asked, concerned.

"I hope so," Noah responded, "lead the way, boss," he smirked.

Taylor grinned, sliding out of the car and waiting for Noah at the back. When he joined him, the two moved towards the entrance and Taylor pocketed his keys. Noah followed Taylor and as Taylor got to his fans, they greeted each other and since they had a some time, the assistants and security guards let him sign autographs and pose for pictures with them.

Noah hung back, letting Taylor take his time, but it was getting closer to eight, so one of the assistants mentioned that he needed to get up to Ryan's studio.

Managing to sign autographs for all of the fans there and posing for as many pictures as he could, Noah finally stepped forward and rested his hands on Taylor's shoulders, "alright, it's time to go. Sorry he can't hang out longer," Noah said, more towards the fans.

The fans sighed, but understood his need to leave, so didn't try to chase after him when Noah guided him towards the doors. Once inside, the assistants led them to the elevator and Taylor looked at Noah, "I'm surprised they didn't figure it out."

Noah adjusted his hat a little, "I think it's because my hat was further down. They were also here to see you, not me."

"I thought that was you, Puck," one of the assistants commented.

"Yep, but I was keeping a low profile. I'm still a little on edge after everything that's gone on," he admitted, stepping off the elevator with Taylor and the assistants.

"It's understandable. Ryan will be surprised to see you," she explained.

Moving through the floor, they came to the studio where Ryan was and he was just going to a song when they walked up, so they could go right into the room, "Taylor and Puck are here," the assistant sound out loud.

"And Puck?" Ryan looked up and saw the two teens enter the room, "wow! Now, I expected Taylor, but I sure didn't expect to see you, Puck," Ryan admitted, getting up and moving to greet them.

"I invited him along," Taylor commented, shaking Ryan's hand.

Ryan grinned, "well I'm glad to see both of you," he replied, nodding at Taylor and then shook Noah's hand, "I didn't even know you were here."

"My parents and I got in last night," Noah commented.

"How's Rachel?" Ryan asked.

Hearing her name made him smile, "she's doing pretty good; all things considered. Thanks for asking."

"Not a problem. When I heard about what happened, I couldn't believe it. I'm just glad she's home safe," the DJ told him, motioning for the guys to take seats near empty microphones and plugged in their ear-buds, while Ryan took his seat.

"We all are," Taylor replied, "that was a good day."

"You were there?" Ryan asked.

Noah nodded, "yeah, he came to Ohio for about a week."

"Awesome," Ryan smiled. For a moment they tested their ear-buds and microphones, "when this next song ends I'll go back live. Anything you don't want to talk about?" Ryan wondered.

"I can't really go into too much detail about what happened to Rachel, but I can say some," Noah shrugged glancing at Taylor.

Taylor nodded, "same. Other then that, we can talk about anything. I'm game."

"Great!" Ryan smiled and as the song came to an end, the show's commercial played and then Ryan cleared his throat, "we're back and here in the studio, I've got two special guests. One you know as Jacob Black from the Twilight movies, Mr. Taylor Lautner."

"Hey everyone," Taylor said into the microphone.

"Now, Taylor emailed me this morning and told me he was bringing a friend, but I didn't have a clue who that would be, but when he walked in, I should have known. Also joining us is one of Taylor's best friends and a well-known singer / songwriter, Mr. Noah 'Puck' Puckerman."

Noah smirked, "good morning, everyone. You emailed Ryan?" He asked, glancing at Taylor.

Taylor nodded, "yeah. Wanted to let him know I was bringing a friend."

"Which, like I said, I should have figured it out, but I didn't. That's why I was shocked you were here. I also didn't realize you were here in LA, yet. I knew you would be at The Grammys, though," Ryan replied.

Noah nodded, "yep, I will be."

"Me too. I'm presenting an award," Taylor added.

"Wow! You're like all over, Taylor. You had New Moon come out in November, you've been at award shows all month, you're presenting at the Grammys and you have a new movie coming out in a few weeks called Valentine's Day. Do you have time to sleep?" Ryan asked.

Taylor laughed at Ryan's question, "yes, I do. I also have time for friends and family."

"Which is much appreciated," Noah commented.

Ryan smiled and saw someone telling him to go to a commercial, "the guys and I are going to keep talking, while you enjoy some music, and we'll be back," Ryan said, turning off their microphones and let the commercials and music take over for a few minutes.

...

For the next hour, between commercials and music, Ryan talked to the guys. Taylor talked about his new movie that would be released in a few weeks, along with the success of New Moon and the Twilight series. Noah talked about music, the awards he was nominated for at The Grammys that year and Ryan never brought up Rachel, except when they talked about making Noah's current music video, staring him and his girlfriend.

During one segment, Ryan took some call-in questions and most of them were typical fan questions, but with time running out before a break, they had time for one more. The girl sounded to be in her mid-20s and said she was from Tammy from Malibu, "I actually have a two-part question and a comment," she admitted, "the first part of my question is for both of you guys. Since Puck, you're a singer, and Taylor, you're an actor, has either of you thought about working together on something? Like Taylor being in a music video of Puck's or singing together on a song, or Puck starring alongside Taylor in a movie?"

The two teens exchanged glances, surprised at the question, "wow, that's an awesome question," Taylor commented.

"Yeah it is," Noah nodded in agreement, "I've thought about having Taylor in a music video of mine, but it just depends on schedules and what the song and the story of the video is," Noah explained.

Taylor nodded, "I'd like to, at some point, but like Noah said, it all depends on schedules, the song and storyline. As for us in a movie together, that's definitely something to think about," he agreed.

"Agreed. I don't know what our careers hold for the future, but I'm sure someday we'll team up to do something. That would definitely be fun," Noah added.

"Great! What's the other part of your question?" Ryan asked.

"I'd like to say that I keep in touch with fellow Taylor and Puck fans online and around my area and Puck, we're all extremely supportive of Puck and Rachel's relationship. We love seeing you happy and Rachel seems to be an amazing friend and girlfriend and we wish you all the best together. When we heard about what happened to Rachel, we were so worried about her and are so relieved that she was found. Could you please pass on our well wishes for a speedy recovery and tell us how she is doing?" The girl asked hopeful.

Hearing Rachel's name, Noah smiled, knowing she was listening, if she hadn't fallen asleep, and he took a moment to gather his thoughts before he responded, "first off, thank you. That really means a lot to hear and I think Rachel is listening at home, so she heard your well wishes, but if she didn't, I'll tell her. As for how she is doing, she's recovering. Taking things one day at a time right now, but she's an amazing young woman and with all of her friends and her family's support, I know she'll make a full recovery in no time," Noah said, writing a note to Ryan that he wanted to send something to Tammy as a thank you.

"Hey Tammy, hang on the line while we go to a break," Ryan said nodding at Noah.

As the show went to a break, Ryan looked at Noah, "do you want to talk to her?"

Noah nodded and moved over to Ryan's phone and picked up the line to talk to her. After she got over the initial shock, Noah thanked her again for what she said and wanted to send her a gift as a thank you, so he got her address and promised her it'd be in the mail soon. Hanging up, Noah put Tammy's address in his pocket and returned to his seat and pulled out his phone to see if his girlfriend had written him.

"Do you think Rachel would talk on the radio?" Ryan asked him.

"Uh, I don't know. We could ask," Noah replied.

Ryan nodded, "okay. Let's see what she says."

...

Rachel had been listening the whole time and when she heard the last caller's comment and well wishes, she smiled, agreeing with what her boyfriend said, "_it's nice to know some fans like me,_" she thought, still unable to forget how Crystal treated her for being with Noah.

Sitting back on the couch, she picked up her text book and started reading some information, waiting until the guys came back on the radio, but before she could settle into her book, her cell phone started ringing. Confused because she didn't recognize the number, she briefly thought to hit the ignore, button, but then thought it might be someone she knew, so she hit the answer button, "hello?"

"Hey babe," Noah said.

"Noah?" Rachel glanced at the number again, "where are you calling from?"

"Ryan's studio phone," Noah replied.

"Oh, no wonder I didn't recognize the number," she admitted.

"Hey Rachel!" Taylor called out, Ryan saying the same thing moments later.

"Hey Taylor, Ryan," she blushed, "wow, this is unexpected."

"Rachel, would you be alright if we talked to you on air?" Ryan asked.

"What? Really?" She gasped.

"Really. Puck has told us how you're doing, but I think it'd be great if we could hear it from you," he explained.

Rachel thought for a moment and though the thought of her being in public and answering a ton of questions scared her, she didn't see a problem with what they were asking; Noah and Taylor were there if she needed, "okay. I would prefer not to talk about what happened exactly, but I don't mind telling everyone how I'm doing," she told them.

"Fair enough," Ryan responded. "We're about to go back on, so just hang on and I'll introduce you in a second."

"I'm here if you need me," Noah added.

Rachel smiled at his words, "I know, Noah. Thank you."

The song that had been playing in the background ended and Ryan jumped right in, "and welcome back, everyone! It's getting close to ten o'clock, and for the past few hours I've been hanging out with Taylor Lautner and Puck. A couple weeks ago, Puck's girlfriend had something bad happen to her and though Puck has told us Rachel is recovering, after our last caller, I thought it'd be great to get the message right from Rachel, so we called her up in Ohio. Rachel are you still there?" Ryan asked.

"I am," Rachel replied, "hello everyone," she added, greeting the listeners.

...

Taylor was scheduled to be on the radio until ten in the morning, California time, so they were getting close to the end, but still had time to talk and play a few more songs. Not wanting to keep Rachel hanging on the phone for too long, Ryan asked Rachel how she was doing and she answered with the same thing her boyfriend had said, only in her words; she was recovering well and was leaning on her boyfriend, their family and friends for support. She didn't want to go into the details about what happened, but she did admit that what she had been through was extremely scary and would never want to relive it again. She also thanked Noah's fans for their support of her and her and Noah's relationship in general, not saying the reason she was taken in the first place.

On air, Noah swore that she would never have to go through that again and he would be by her side through everything, even if they were apart for a few days. Ryan commented that he was glad to hear her say that, because even though Noah said something, it meant more coming from her.

Taking another break for some commercials and a few more songs, Rachel talked to them and stayed on the phone until Noah and Taylor said their goodbye messages and signed off. Ryan thanked Rachel for joining the show and wished a speedy recovery for her and Noah promised he would call soon, before Rachel hung up, letting the guys chat a little with Ryan and the rest of the radio staff before they left.

While the guys were still in the studio, one of the assistants brought in some things for them to sign and then Ryan, Noah and Taylor posed for some pictures, before the security guards led the guys back outside. By now, because of the live radio show, Noah's fans knew he was there, so several locals had gathered outside the main entrance of the building, waiting for Noah. As the teens exited the building, both were greeted by more fans, so they took some time to sign autographs, pose for pictures and chat with those who were there.

Though going into the studio, Noah pretended to be Taylor's assistant, he knew by the time he was heard on the radio, any of his fans listening, who lived in the area and had time would try to make it to the studio to see him, so he expected the crowd. He didn't want to be rude to anyone, and he was feeling better; knowing part was because he was more awake, but also because he had a chance to hear his girlfriend's voice. He missed her and felt bad they were apart at such a rough time and though he could hear some nervousness in her voice, he also could tell she was feeling better than she had been the day before.

Posing together for a few final pictures with the last few girls left, Taylor and Noah thanked them for stopping by and then headed out to Taylor's car and got in, relaxing for a moment, "that was fun. You feeling better now?" Taylor asked.

Noah nodded, "yeah it was and I think I am. It was great to hang out with you and hearing Rachel's voice helped, too," he admitted, sitting back in his seat.

Taylor smiled, "good. I figured talking to her would help. Once we figure out what we want to do for the rest of the day, call her," he told him.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be rude," Noah replied.

"It's okay. I have to drive wherever we end up deciding to go, so it's cool," Taylor said honestly, "any ideas?"

Noah thought for a moment, "I don't know. Lunch and then we could just drive around and got sightseeing or something."

"Lunch definitely and I'm up for that. We can talk about where at lunch. The usual place?" Taylor asked.

Noah nodded, "yeah, it's a bit from where we are, but why mess with tradition?"

"Sushi it is," Taylor agreed, starting his car and shifting it into reverse.

...

Rachel kicked back on the couch waiting for her boyfriend to call. She didn't expect him to right after they were no longer in the studio with Ryan, but hoped he called soon; the time change made it one-pm when they finished on air and if he didn't call soon, she have to go pick up Arin and didn't want to hang up on him.

Closing her eyes for just a few moments, she let her body relax, but then decided while she was waiting, she could get out of her house clothes; yoga pants, T-shirt and slippers, and put on regular clothes, so she was ready to go when she had to go pick up Arin, in case Noah did call closer to that time.

Returning to the couch, she stretched out and with her phone in her hand, she let her eyes close and slowly her body pulled her deeper into sleep, but the familiar ringtone for her boyfriend began playing from her phone so she answered it, "hey, Noah," she smiled.

"Hey Rach! I didn't wake you, did I?" Noah asked concerned.

"No. I wasn't asleep. I guess you could say I was resting my eyes," she admitted, "how are you?"

"I'm good. Taylor and I are on our way to lunch. Not sure what we're doing after that. I miss you," he commented honestly.

"I miss you, too," she replied, "but I'm glad we get to talk now."

...

Noah put Rachel on speakerphone and the three teens chatted lightly while Taylor drove do their favorite restaurant. When Taylor parked in the lot, Noah promised he'd talk to her later that day and the couple reluctantly hung up.

When Rachel ended his call, she continued to relax and decided to text her friends to see if anyone would be interested in going to the mall the next day. Mercedes, Tina, Artie, Kurt, Ryan, Carly and Quinn were in for the trip, so she made arrangements to meet them at noon and then finished getting ready to go pick up Arin.

Rachel and Arin returned to the Berry's and Arin started on her homework, Rachel on hers, and Alan and David worked on dinner. When Arin needed it, Rachel helped her and while they were working, Rachel brought up the plans for the next day and asked Arin to go along. Arin happily agreed to go, excited to go shopping and 'hang out' with Rachel and her friends from school.

Shortly after, dinner was ready, so the four in the house settled at the dinning room table to eat. Feeling tired, since she hadn't had a nap that day, Rachel excused herself after dinner and went upstairs to lay down.

Expecting to wake up in just a few hours, Rachel was surprised when she woke up and saw it was after eleven-pm and couldn't believe she'd slept over five hours without any nightmares. Glancing up, she could faintly make out the feathers of the dreamcatcher that Noah had put up and smiled, "_you definitely work,_" she commented, sitting up and looking around for her phone.

Not finding it on her bed or nightstand, she got up and quietly made her way down to the living room to look where she had been earlier. Flipping on the light, she looked through the stacks of her books and papers, but still didn't see it. "_Where is it?_" She wondered silently, lifting up pillows and then remembered she'd put it in her purse when she went to get Arin. Moving to her bag, she glanced at the side pocket where it usually was, "_no, it's not here,_" she sighed, looking inside to make sure it hadn't been put in there, and without any luck, she tried to think of where it had been, "_okay, so I was on the couch talking to Noah on my phone this afternoon. I hung up and it was still in my hands until I put it in my bag. I set my bag in the passenger seat of the car when I went to get Arin and when I came inside from getting her, I set my bag on the back of the couch. I helped Arin with her homework and then we had dinner, and then I went to lay down... Maybe it's on the dinning room table,_" she thought, padding over to the table.

Glancing over the bare table, aside from the usual centerpiece they had on it, she didn't see her phone, so she moved into the kitchen and looked on the counters, "damn it!" She exclaimed, "if it's not here, then it must be in the car!" She huffed, heading to her bag to get her keys. Before going outside, she checked between the couch cushions, just to make sure it hadn't fallen between them and when she didn't find it, she took a deep breath and looked at what she was wearing. She still had on her clothes from that day, so she slipped her shoes on that were by the door and pulled it open.

Getting hit with a rush of ice cold air, she shivered, but was determined to find her phone, so she headed off the porch and over to her car. Unlocking the doors, she quickly pulled the passenger door open, "_oh, thank goodness!_" She grinned, seeing her phone sitting on the seat, blinking and flashing from missed calls and texts. Thankful to have found her phone, she shut her door and locked her car again, dashing back to the warmth of the house.

"Rachel? What's going on? Are you alright?" David asked, coming downstairs to find her closing the front door.

She jumped in shock, turning around to face him, "daddy!" She took a deep breath, "yes, I'm fine, but I couldn't find my phone," she said, holding it up, "it was on my car seat."

"Oh, sweetheart, it's freezing outside. You could have waited until morning to get it," he told her, wrapping his arms around her to warm her up.

Rachel accepted the hug and relaxed in his arms for a moment before responding, "I know, but Noah may call and I don't want him to think I'm ignoring him," she replied.

"He's aware of the time change," David commented, guiding her to the kitchen, "he probably wouldn't call this late and if he did and you didn't answer, I bet he'd think you were sleeping. He definitely wouldn't think you were ignoring him."

"Um, yes, I guess you're right," she agreed, taking a seat at the island. "Why are you up?"

"Dad fell asleep a bit ago, but I haven't gone to sleep yet. I heard you get up and then when I heard the door open, I got confused and worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay," he admitted.

"I'm fine," she replied looking at him and when she got a skeptical look from him, she continued, "honestly, I'm okay. I slept like five hours without any nightmares, no dreams at all, actually, which is a lot better than the bad ones I have been having. It only sucks that I slept for so long that now I'm going to be wide awake until early morning and I'm taking Arin to the mall to meet some friends at noon."

"I know about the mall plans. You and Arin talked about it at dinner," David said, taking a seat next to her, "maybe you could stay up for a few hours and then go to sleep around two or three and sleep in. You don't have to get up too early," he suggested.

Rachel thought for a moment and nodded, "that could work."

David smiled and looked at her, "you sure you're okay? You're not trying to play tough or anything?"

"No, I'm not daddy. I really am okay. I miss Noah a lot, but aside from that, for the moment, I'm okay," she promised.

"That's good to hear," he smiled, standing up. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he gave her a hug, "then I'm going to go to bed. If you need anything you know where we are," he told her, "and if you feel tired, don't force yourself to stay up, either."

"I know," she replied, "love you. Good night."

"Night, sweetheart," he replied, nodding at her and then moved towards the stairs.

Rachel watched him go upstairs and she stood up, moving into the living room. Getting comfortable on the couch, she checked her messages and missed calls and saw a missed one from Tina and Quinn and several text messages from her friends and a few from Noah. The messages from her friends were just to say that they hoped she was doing okay and would see her the next day and Noah's messages was telling her what he was doing; dinner at the Lautners, hanging out with Taylor and the most recent one was sent 20 minutes prior that said he was on his way back to the hotel and to text or call when she got it. With a grin, she hit the send button and hoped he would answer.

After three rings, Noah picked up, "hey babe!" He greeted.

"Hey, sweetheart. How was your day?" She asked with a smile.

"It was pretty good. I take it you got my messages?" He wondered.

She blushed, "yes, I just did, actually. After dinner I laid down and just woke up a little bit ago and went to look for my phone. I found it in my car."

"Ah, I see. I figured you were asleep," he admitted.

"What are you doing right now?"

"Sitting in bed reading over some homework. Figured I could get some done now so I don't have a ton to do this weekend," he explained, kicking back.

"Oh, well, we could talk later, if you'd liked to continue that. I was going to get into some of my homework, too," she commented.

Noah smirked, "baby, I'd never pick homework over you," he told her honestly.

...

A/N4: I hope you all enjoyed! I'm super sorry. I feel horrible for such a long time between updates. I really did not think it would be this long, but life has a way of taking over. Lots of stressful things going on right now, but my writing and my crafts are a great way to calm down. I love all of you and I want to think you guys so much for the support in everything!

A/N5: The Puckleberry Fan Fic Awards are currently being voted on. You have until August 26th, which is this Friday! I'm (SapphireEJ / Sapphiresfic) nominated for Best Author, and four of my fics are also nominated, Out of the Blue (Best WIP), Starlight (Best WIP), Leave Out All The Rest (Best Drama) and Fly Me To The Moon (Best Future Fic). There are tons of awesome fics and authors in my categories. I'd love to win, but it's an honor to just be nominated. Thank you so much to whoever nominated me or my fics! For information on voting, go here ( prfanficawards . livejournal . com / 3173 . html ).

A/N6: Speaking of my crafts, I'm gonna share them with you. Anyone interested in friendship bracelets? I'm selling them 'word of mouth' and one of them is a wave bracelet like Mark Salling's. The bracelet I'm talking about is the black, red, yellow and green one he wears almost all the time. I figured out how to make it and I posted a picture of one in similar colors here: ( ej8302 . tumblr . com / post / 8288256823 ). Yes, I know the meaning of his bracelet colors (I will let you know about them if you'd like one). I can make the bracelets in any color (3-6 colors/bracelet work the best). Here ( ej8302 . tumblr . com / post / 7752014106 ) on my Tumblr is another color version. When you buy a wave bracelet, you'll get a matching spiral or 'Chinese Staircase' bracelet in up to 4 colors for free. If you're interested, message me or make a note in a review / comment and we'll talk. :) Don't feel obligated, I'm just throwing this out there. I'm gonna eventually post my bracelets on Etsy, but for now, just by word of mouth and I've already making some for some readers/friends and they love them. To see more pictures, other than the ones I posted, I can email you some, if you'd like, too.

...


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Rachel spoke to Noah until midnight in California, three-am in Ohio, when he reluctantly hung up to get some sleep since he had a big day coming up. Having gotten a nap the evening before, Rachel wasn't really tired when she hung up with Noah, but went to bed anyway, setting her alarm for ten in the morning, so she'd have plenty of time to get ready for the trip to the mall.

Tossing and turning for the next seven hours, Rachel couldn't seem to get or stay comfortable; dreams were swirling around her mind and though they weren't 'bad', they still upset her and caused her to wake up several times, needing time to relax before she could get back to sleep.

By nine, Rachel gave up on sleep and laid in bed, watching the minutes tick closer to ten and when the alarm's beeping finally started, she turned it off and pushed herself out of bed, heading right for her shower.

Being careful not to get her cast wet, she stood under the hot spray for a few moments, gathering her thoughts and trying to stay calm. She was nervous about venturing out in public for the first time since her abduction, not counting the hospital or Arin's school, because she didn't know how she'd handle it. She knew she had to get out and eventually return to school, so this was a good step to see how she dealt with the public.

Washing her hair and body, she finally stepped out and removed the cover she was using to protect her cast as much as possible and started dressing for the day. Seeing it was almost eleven, she realized her boyfriend would be up and getting ready for his day, part of her nervous and excited for him, because he'd be meeting and working with Neil Diamond for the first time ever, preparing for their Grammy Awards performance the next night. He hadn't said anything directly, but she could tell in his voice that he was also nervous and was trying to hide it to keep from worrying her. "_Today is going to be a great day for both of us. Just relax and you'll be fine, Rachel,_" she told herself, taking a few deep breaths before grabbing her phone and leaving her room, heading downstairs to find her dads and Arin watching TV. "Good morning," she said, moving into the living room and taking a seat on the couch.

"Morning, Rachel," Arin said, sliding closer and hugging her.

Rachel smiled, "hey, Arin. How long have you been up?"

"A few hours," she admitted, "are we still going to the mall?"

"We are. I just need to eat something and then I was going to call your brother before we go. I can imagine he's probably going to be just getting up and getting ready to go meet Neil," she explained.

"Cool!" Arin smiled, "I hope he has fun."

"Me too," Rachel agreed.

"What would you like for breakfast, sweetheart?" David asked, getting up.

"Oh, I think I'll just have something light. I'm sure we'll be having lunch at the mall," Rachel admitted, getting up and heading for the kitchen.

David, Arin and Alan followed her and she got a cup of yogurt and some granola, "well, while you're eating that, we can talk," Alan said.

Rachel raised a curious eyebrow at him, "about what? Is everything alright?"

The two fathers exchanged glances, "alright? Yes, but we're curious how you're doing. We know you've expressed that you won't be ready to go back to school until Noah gets back, but have you thought of when exactly?" Alan asked.

"Um, well, I figured I'll go back when he does. From what I remember, if things go well and they can get a flight out, they'll be home Tuesday sometime, so he'll probably go back to school Wednesday or Thursday," Rachel admitted, "and I figured I'd go back when he does."

"Do you think you'll be ready?" David wondered, taking a seat.

She thought for a moment, "I'll know more after today, to be honest. That's a lot of the reason I wanted to go to the mall. It's in public and I can see how I do. I'll be with Arin and friends, so I won't be alone and if I am okay, then I'll go back when Noah does; if I don't do well, then can we talk later about it?" She asked hopeful.

"We can, but I have to go back to work Monday. I have some court cases I was able to put on hold, but I need to get back to them or I'll have to turn them over to another lawyer in the office," Alan admitted.

"Oh, dad, daddy, go back to work. I'll be fine here. You've already taken off several week as it is; you can't take much more off," she told them.

"Rachel, you're worth it," David said, "but we're also not doing a lot for you. I figured I'd stay off this week again, and see how you do, and then go from there."

"I love guys, but you both should go back to work. I'll be fine. I feel safe here and it's not like I can't do things; it's just a little tougher with a cast on. I hate that you've taken so much time off to just sit around. I will be okay. I can always call you if I need anything," she told him honestly.

"How about I stay until Noah, Deborah and Ethan get home from California. Then we'll see how things go," David suggested.

Rachel nodded, "yes, that would be alright, if you're sure it's okay," she admitted, throwing her empty yogurt cup in the trash.

"Everyone understands what happened and why we're off, so it's okay," David assured her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

Alan joined them and Rachel smiled, feeling comfortable in their arms.

...

Noah woke around eight-fifteen, not needing to be at practice until ten, so he still had some time to relax. All the Grammy performers were given a four-hour block of time to practice at the Staples Center, where the awards were held; it overlapped with others; getting two hours in their mini-studio and two on the stage, so they had time to see it and make sure their performance was under their seven-minute limit.

Reaching for his cell phone, he sent a text message to his girlfriend to let her know he was up; he figured she was, but neither liked calling until they knew the other was awake, so they kept to text messages until they found out. Shifting a little in bed, he checked his email on his phone and just as he closed up the application, he smiled when it began ringing and Rachel's name popped up. "Hey baby," he answered, "that was quick."

"I was just getting ready to text you when I got your message. Arin and I are going to be leaving for the mall soon and we wanted to talk to you before we went," she said.

"Sweet. Glad I caught you then," he admitted, "how did you sleep?"

"Horrible," she replied, "I'm so tired of tossing and turning all night."

Noah sighed, "I'm sorry baby. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"It's not your fault, well, I'm sure part of the reason why I'm not sleeping well is because you're not here, but I'm nervous about the trip to the mall and excited and nervous for you and... Did you know you're nominated for five awards?" Rachel asked, "you never told me how many!"

"I did know that and I didn't tell you? Really? I thought I had," he replied, "sorry. I guess I had other things on my mind," he added, "and if we're on the topic of things I didn't tell you, did I mention I shaved my head last night when we got back to the hotel?" Noah wondered, sitting up in the middle of his bed.

She sighed, remembering him telling her that the night before, "yes you told me. You said you'd send pictures. You didn't give yourself a mohawk, did you?"

"No mohawk," he said, running his hand over his head, "it was going to start curling if it got any longer, so I had to... You can still see what color my hair is, but it's pretty close to my scalp," he explained.

"Alright, I can deal with that. It's like it was when we first met. It'll grow out pretty quick, anyway," she replied.

"It will," he nodded glancing at his watch, "are you guys leaving soon?"

"Yeah, in the next fifteen minutes or so," Rachel admitted, "why?"

Noah thought for a moment, "if you don't mind, can I talk to my sister for a second?"

"Sure," Rachel held the phone out to Arin, "Noah wants to talk to you."

"Really?" Arin took the phone and put it to her ear, "hey, Noah!"

"Hey, sis. How are things going for you?" He asked, sliding out of bed and moving to his suitcase.

"I'm okay. I miss you guys though," Arin admitted, "staying with Rachel and her dads is fun, but it's not the same."

"I know, but we'll be home soon, I promise. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Arin nodded.

"Be good for Rachel today... I'm sure you have been, but this is a big deal for her today and she's gonna need all the support she can get," he admitted, unsure if she really understood why he was so concerned.

"I know, Noah and I will be," Arin replied.

"Good, I'd let you talk to mom and dad, but I don't know if they are up," he told her.

"It's okay. I can talk to them tonight," she commented.

"Alright. Love you, sis. Can I talk to Rachel again?"

"Love you, too, Noah. Tell mom and dad the same, please. Here's Rachel," Arin said, handing the phone back to Rachel.

"Hey Noah. I think I should probably let you go," she said softly, "gotta leave soon."

Noah sighed, but nodded, "yeah, I get ya. Have fun and say 'hi' to everyone for me. Are you still inviting our friends over tomorrow night?"

"I don't know who will be able to make it, but yes I'm going to. I should double check with dad and daddy to make sure it's alright, but I'll ask everyone today," Rachel replied.

"Alright, I'll text you when I can and send some pictures from the red carpet and inside if I get a chance. If I can't, I'll get mom and dad to," Noah commented.

"That would be neat. Parts of me wish I was there, but other parts know I wouldn't be ready for that."

Noah nodded, digging out the clothes he was going to wear that day and got his bathroom stuff ready, "I know. I wish you were here, but this isn't the place for you right now. It's overwhelming for me and I've done this a lot."

"I never thought about that before," Rachel replied, "you still get nervous?"

"Oh yeah. Even more when I have a performance during the awards, like this time... Getting to meet Neil Diamond for the first time, even if we've talked on the phone and through emails a few times the past month, is freakin' me out, but I'm trying to stay calm about it. It's a dream come true, that's for sure."

Rachel smiled, "you'll be amazing, Noah. I've never experienced that myself, but if I was able to meet Barbra Streisand or Celine Dion and be able to sing with them, I'd be extremely nervous myself," she replied, "just be yourself and don't try to show off."

Noah laughed, "I won't. I just hope I don't fuck up 'Sweet Caroline'."

"Noah, stop. You're going to be great and Neil is going to love working with you," Rachel assured him, "and as much as I hate to say this, I need to go. I love you and I want pictures and to hear all about your day when we talk tonight, okay?"

Smiling at her words, he nodded, "I love you, too. Mom's got her camera charged up and we all have our camera phones. I promise pictures and I'll be sure to talk to you tonight about it. I also want to hear about your day, too. If you need anything don't hesitate to call, okay? Just take your time and relax. If you get uncomfortable, tell them and they're not going to force you to do something you're not ready to do, alright?"

"Okay," she took a deep breath and relaxed, "I'm sure I'll be fine, but I'm still nervous, too. I'll talk to you soon," she added. 

"Agreed," he nodded.

...

Saying their 'goodbyes', Rachel hung up her phone and relaxed a little before getting up from the couch. They still had a few minutes to go before they needed to leave, so she sent Arin upstairs to get her jacket and Rachel went to talk to her dads.

Rachel asked David and Alan if they were alright with her friends from school and the Glee Club to come over for the awards the following night, having a party to celebrate Noah's five nominations and hopefully also five wins, too. The dads were welcome to the idea, so once she was sure and Arin returned to the downstairs, Rachel put her jacket on, grabbed her bag and she and Arin headed out to her car.

Getting into the driver's seat and hooking her seatbelt, with Arin buckled up in the back, Rachel started the car and began the trek to the to the mall. Being that it was a weekend, those meeting Rachel and Arin were not going to be the only teens at the mall, because it was one of the common 'hangouts' for the youth of Lima.

Parking in a space near Kurt's familiar SUV, Rachel and Arin got out of her car. Kurt and Ryan were sitting in his SUV and when they saw them, the two teens slid out and waited for them, Kurt skipping over to Rachel and throwing his arms around her, "Rachel! I'm so glad to see you!"

"The feeling is mutual," Rachel admitted, smiling as they hugged.

"When are you coming back to McKinley? School and Glee are not the same without you and Noah," he commented, bouncing around a little, "oh and speaking of Noah, have you spoken to him? Well, of course you have, you two talk all the time! How's California? Has he met any celebrities yet?"

"Kurt, have you had coffee today?" Rachel wondered, giggling lightly at seeing him so excited. "He hung out with Taylor yesterday and as of right now he hasn't met any other celebrities, that I now of," Rachel added, remembering that Noah performing with Neil was supposed to be a secret until the awards.

"Isn't Noah meeting..." Arin started, but Rachel put her good hand over her mouth.

"Meeting who?" Kurt asked, glancing at Arin.

"Ryan Seacrest," Rachel commented, glaring at Arin, "Taylor was on Ryan's radio show yesterday, so he took Noah along."

"I apologize for Kurt, we went to coffee before coming here and he had three lattes before I realized how many he'd had," Ryan admitted, laughing lightly, "good to see you Rachel, Arin," Ryan nodded at them.

Arin waved, remembering him from when they were all in New York, "hey."

"I needed the energy for shopping," Kurt said, "come on! The stores are waiting for us!" He added, grabbing Ryan's hand and heading for the entrance of the mall.

Rachel let the guys get a few feet away from them before turning to Arin, "Noah performing with Neil is supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh, sorry," Arin replied, "I forgot."

"It's okay," Rachel replied, throwing her good arm around Arin's shoulders, "besides, I wanna see their reactions."

Arin giggled a little and nodded, "okay. Is Kurt always like this?"

"He likes to go shopping, if that's what you mean," Rachel told her, the two following and working on catching up with Kurt and Ryan, "is anyone else here yet?" Rachel asked once they finally did, near the doors.

"I think Quinn and Carly are here. I don't know about Mercedes, Tina or Artie. Matt, Mike and Finn would have come, but they're at their Saturday basketball practice, but I think Finn said if we're still here when they're done, they'll meet up with us," Ryan explained, Kurt focused on going inside and shopping, "and Santana and Brittany already had plans."

"Alright. When everyone is together, I have a question for you all," Rachel admitted.

The doors they went into brought them right by the café they usually stopped at and as soon as they stepped inside, they glanced around and found Quinn and Carly sitting at a table not too far away, so the four walked towards them.

Rachel took a deep breath and relaxed, "_you can do this, Rachel. Just one step at a time,_" she thought. "Hey, Quinn, Carly," Rachel smiled at them.

"Hey, Rachel!" Carly said, standing up and moving to hug her, "how are you doing?"

"I'm still a little uneasy and am getting used to my cast, but every day I feel a little better," Rachel explained, hugging Quinn.

"We're glad to see you," Quinn told her. "Are you going back to school Monday?"

"No, not quite yet. As I told my dads earlier, I want to see how well I do today before I make that decision. I never planned to return until Noah got back, but even then, I'm not really sure," she replied, taking a seat at the table.

"I don't blame you. I say take all the time you need; it's not like you can just turn your emotions off," Quinn said.

Rachel nodded, "exactly. Noah gave me a dreamcatcher and it's helped, but I still wake up a lot, either from nerves, not so good dreams, or just being uncomfortable," she explained, "but as I've been telling myself, I'm just taking things one day at a time."

"That's good," Carly nodded, still a little bothered by what her ex-friend had done, "I'm sure Noah leaving so soon after you got back hasn't helped, either, right?"

"That too. We talk when we can, but it is hard with the time difference and things he needs to do for the awards tomorrow. Oh! Speaking of the awards, would anyone be interested in coming over to my house tomorrow evening and watching them? Noah is nominated for five awards and we're definitely going to watch," she said, glancing at Arin.

"I'm in," Kurt replied, "what time?" He asked, just as Ryan said he'd also come over.

"About five? I think that's when the red carpet pre-show starts," Rachel commented.

"I'll be there," Carly said.

"Me, too," Quinn added, "want me to ask Finn, Matt, Mike, Santana and Brittany?" She asked.

"Sure, that'd be great. Remind me to ask Artie, Tina and Mercedes when they get here, too," Rachel added.

As if they heard their names, the three who hadn't arrived, Tina, Artie and Mercedes, showed up, joining their friends. Rachel asked them about the next day, not wanting to forget and they were pretty sure they could come over, but wanted to make sure with their parents before they did.

The whole group sat around the table, talking for a little longer, before Kurt couldn't wait any longer and begged to start shopping, so they got up and headed further into the mall.

...

After hanging up with Rachel, Noah took care of what he needed to and his parents had been up for a few hours, so soon, with guitar in hand, the Puckermans, along with Noah's bodyguards, Tim and Alex, were on their way to the Staples Center, where he was meeting his band and Neil.

Checking in and getting their passes for that day and the following day, an escort showed them where Noah was to be and they were early, so they still had some time to sit and wait until everyone else arrived.

In the room, an entire band area was set up, room for a few guitars, a nice piano off to one side, a full drum set, keyboard and several other percussion instruments set up, needed for other performers, along with sound equipment, microphones and everything else they'd have on the stage at the awards.

Noah moved right over to the piano, stretching his fingers a little before and laying his hands on the keys, not really sure if he wanted to play his guitar during the whole performance. He'd been planning to play his acoustic electric guitar during 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Live Like We're Dying', but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to play the piano more.

"Noah, whatever happened to that song you were working on?" Deborah wondered.

"What song?" Noah asked, glancing at her.

"The one you were working on while Rachel was missing," she explained.

"Oh, I finished it... It was a song for Rachel, actually," Noah smiled, wondering if his mom had been reading his thoughts.

"Wow! Really? Has she heard it yet?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I played it for her before I gave her the bracelets," he replied, lifting his wrist to show him what he was meaning, "wanna hear it?"

"Yes!" Deborah nodded, "I didn't even know you'd finished it or what it was."

"I even had time to record it and give her a copy on CD," he added, letting his fingers land on the keys where he needed to start.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and pictured his girlfriend when he'd played it for her, "_this is for you, baby,_" he thought, before letting his mind take over as he began to play. Without opening his eyes, his fingers danced correctly over the keys as he sang the meaningful song he'd written; not needing to see the keys to know he was hitting the correct notes.

Noah sang the entire song, completely with his eyes closed and as he played the final notes, he opened his eyes and looked at his parents. Both of them were smiling and his mom had tears in her eyes, but before he could say anything to them, he heard clapping and turned around to see his band and Neil Diamond standing near the door, having come in during his song and he'd been so lost in it, he hadn't noticed. "Wow! Um, hey... Thanks... I didn't realize I had more of an audience," he admitted, unable to hide the blush growing on his cheeks.

"You're welcome. That's an awesome song and I imagine it's personal?" Neil asked, knowing what had happened to Rachel

"Yeah, it is very personal," Noah nodded, as everyone moved further into the room, "it's definitely from the heart."

"That's where real songs come from," Neil replied, "you've got an amazing talent, Noah. I'm honored you wanted to perform with me."

"Thank you," Noah smiled, "that means so much coming from you and the honor is mutual. I grew up listening to your music and I know we've spoken through emails recently, discussing the performance, but it just didn't seem real until now."

Neil smiled, "I promise you, it is real," he said, holding out his hand.

Noah stepped forward and shook his hand, "it's nice to finally meet you in person," Noah commented, turning as their hands broke apart, "Neil, I'd like you to meet my parents, Ethan and Deborah Puckerman. Mom, dad, this is Neil Diamond," he said, motioning between them.

Taking a moment to continue the introductions of Noah's band, everyone gathered around the piano to start talking details, "are you sure you want to perform the songs you've picked?" Neil asked Noah.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Why? Can we not do 'Sweet Caroline' because you did it last year at the Grammys, when you received your 'Person of the Year' award(1)?" Noah asked, now concerned.

"Oh, no," Neil shook his head, "nothing like that. I just thought you might want to do the song you were just playing," he replied, motioning to the piano.

"I... I never thought about it. Could I? I mean I haven't recorded it 'officially' and it's not on any of my albums," Noah said, glancing at Neil, his band and then his parents.

"If you want to, I can call Elliott and find out what he says. I can't believe there would be an issue. It's not the first time an artist has performed original works on the awards before," Ethan commented, holding up his phone.

Noah thought for a moment, then smiled, "would you call him please? We'll work on 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Live Like We're Dying' now, and if I can't, then we can work on 'Home', too."

"Okay, I'll go call him," Ethan nodded, "I'll be back."

...

Ethan stepped out of the room to make the necessary phone calls, while Noah, Neil and the band got to work on their short performance.

Over the past month, Noah, Neil, Ethan and a few of the guys in the band had been talking back and forth through emails, working on their plan for the show, so when they did get their time to work together, in person, most of the details would be worked out, the band would know the music and they could alter little things here and there if needed.

The original plan was that Noah and his band would start out with 'Home', a single from 'Who I Am', Noah's album that was nominated that night, then after a few verses, the band would move on to the beginning of 'Sweet Caroline' and Noah would introduce Neil. He would join Noah on stage, and then they would sing a portion of 'Sweet Caroline' and then end with Noah's current single, 'Live Like We're Dying'. Now that Neil had suggested the use of Noah's new song, Noah decided if he could use 'Someone To Fall Back On', he would use it instead of 'Home', and keep the rest of the performance the same.

He really liked the idea of performing the song, but he didn't figure he'd be able to. He knew it wasn't copyrighted yet, or approved by the record company, which could take time, so he had a feeling the suggestion would be turned down because it was such short notice.

As time ticked by, their two hours in that room was almost up and they'd be moving to the stage and between water breaks, everyone was confident in with the two songs and were still waiting on Ethan. Finally, Ethan returned and after finishing up their third run through, Noah stopped and looked at him, "well, any luck?" Noah asked.

Ethan nodded, "yeah. Can you email the lyrics and the track you made to Elliott tonight?"

"I have it on my laptop, which is back at the hotel, so as soon as we get back I can. Why?" Noah wondered.

"Good," Ethan walked over to them, "there's nothing saying you can't perform it and Elliott would like to listen to it and so would the label, but they trust you, so if you want to sing it, go for it. They also figure that fans will want the original and since you already made the audio, if they like how it sounds, they can get it ready to be released online as an exclusive. We'll have to discuss the details later, but to make a long story short, you can use it tomorrow," he explained.

"Really? But it's not copyrighted yet," Noah said, "are you sure?"

"Yes I am, Noah. You did everything from writing it to creating the track and the only people, besides Rachel who has heard it, are in this room. It's yours. To protect it even more, that's why Elliott and the label wanna hear it. They can document it, so you don't have to worry about anyone trying to take it," Ethan told him, "so just relax."

"Alright," Noah took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down as the butterflies in his stomach began to grow even more, "I'll sing it. It's just a big deal, because it's such a new song," he admitted.

"Everyone is going to love it, Noah. It fits well with the other two you're doing, which sound amazing, by the way, and I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to start crying. I'm so proud of you," Deborah said honestly.

Noah blushed lightly, moving over to her and giving her a big hug, "thanks mom. I love you."

...

1. Neil Diamond was given the 'MusiCares Person of the Year' award on February 8, 2009 at the 51st Grammy Awards - ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ 51st_Grammy_Awards ) and also performed 'Sweet Caroline' at the awards that year. Didn't realize this until after I planned out the awards Noah is going to (the 52nd), so I'm sticking with my original plan.

...

A/N4: Next chapter will be the awards and I'm hoping by chapter 41, Noah will be home. I have about half of the awards chapter written, so I'm gonna try and update that sooner. Hope you guys liked! Review and let me know!

A/N5: So sorry it's been so long since I last updated, but this time I did it on purpose. One of my awesome readers, who has become a best friend to me, has her birthday on 9/26, so as a birthday present, I wanted to wait and update all my fics for her birthday... Happy Birthday, PKteach!

A/N6: Still making bracelets and other crafts. If you're interested, let me know!

...


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: There will be a lot of shifting from Noah in California to Rachel in Ohio.

A/N5: I've tried to format the awards so it's mostly from the point-of-view of Rachel and TV viewers (the show being in _italics_), but I added in some more details to certain things to make it a little more real for Noah and his point-of-view during the performance with Neil.

...

Spending the next two hours on the Grammy stage, practicing and perfecting their performance for the next day, Noah, Neil and everyone else was confident that they would have a flawless time.

After finishing up on stage, Deborah asked for some pictures, so for the next little while, they posed for pictures. Noah, Neil and the band first, then Tim took Deborah's camera and snapped some of the Puckerman's with Neil before they parted ways until the next day.

Noah, Ethan and Deborah, though ready to go back to the hotel, still had to go shopping for what they were wearing, so after a quick lunch, they headed off to one of the local malls and got started.

...

Being at the mall with friends, Rachel seemed to stay pretty calm and relaxed, as long as they stayed in the group and didn't split up. Arin stayed with her, making sure she was okay and a few times when the group separated to go into a different store, Rachel was a little more nervous than when it was the larger group. Carly noticed the change and also stayed with Rachel and so did Quinn, not wanting Rachel to get upset.

Rachel really appreciated Carly, Quinn and Arin staying close and slowly she was opening up and being more herself; more talkative and comfortable in public, so the day was turning out to be a success.

Since no one had a specific reason to be shopping, they all wandered in and out of various stores, making small purchases when they found something they liked and after spending a few hours at the mall and no one really ready to leave yet, the whole group headed for the food court for a late lunch and Finn, Matt and Mike came from basketball practice to join them, the three guys telling Rachel they'd be over the next day for the awards as well.

During lunch, Rachel glanced at her phone and found some pictures from Deborah of Noah and Neil together and Rachel tried to contain her excitement, because she didn't want to ruin the surprise. Thanking Deborah for the messages, Rachel returned to the discussion the group was having and once they were all done eating, they looked around in a few more shops, but now being tired from the day and Kurt's caffeine high slowly crashing, the large group said their 'goodbyes' and promised to see each other the next day at Rachel's.

Returning home, Rachel and Arin talked with her dads and they were happy Rachel had such a good day at the mall. Rachel admitted that she was far from over what happened, but it was a good step and hoped she continued to get over everything. She also told them about the messages she'd gotten from Deborah, showing the pictures to Arin, Alan and David, glad she could now express her excitement.

...

As the day ended for Rachel and Noah, they talked on the phone and as much as he wanted to surprise her with singing 'Someone To Fall Back On' at the awards, he also wanted her blessing and she gladly gave it, assuring him it would sound amazing and they'd always have the memories of her hearing it for the first time and while they were talking, Noah emailed the song and lyrics to Elliott, so he didn't forget.

They talked about their day and Noah was glad she had done well at the mall, wishing he had been there, but knew he would be home in just a few days and she assured him she understood why he was gone. Rachel mentioned she had invited their friends over for the next day and also called Will and Emma to extend the invitation, unsure if they'd come or not. Also during their conversation, Rachel asked him about working with Neil Diamond.

"It was amazing. Definitely a dream come true," Noah admitted.

Rachel smiled, "did you know he's done a duet with Barbra Streisand?" She wondered.

"I did know that. 'You don't bring me flowers'," Noah replied, "she'll be at the awards tomorrow, so I'm gonna try to meet her, but I'm not making any guarantees."

"I know. It would be amazing if you could, but I'm sure things will be busy tomorrow, for everyone," Rachel commented, trying not to beg for an autograph from her idol.

"You're trying really hard to not get excited, aren't you?" Noah asked.

"Yes, I am," she blushed, laughing lightly, "you could tell?"

"Well, yes, but it's also because I know how much you love her," he told her, "I do remember things like that."

"Which makes you an amazing boyfriend, because a lot of guys don't even know their girlfriend's favorite color," Rachel responded.

"Purple," he replied, grinning.

"It is," she smiled, "see, you're definitely an amazing boyfriend."

...

Talking for a little longer, the couple eventually hung up, so Rachel could get to sleep. She'd been off her usual sleep schedule and wanted to get plenty of sleep so she could be ready for everyone coming over the next day.

Waking up Sunday morning, Rachel felt refreshed. Spending time with everyone at the mall and talking to her boyfriend that night seemed to help her sleep better; her dreams weren't as vivid and she managed to keep the tossing and turning to a minimum.

Getting ready for the day, Rachel, Arin, David and Alan came up with a plan and got to work. Alan went to the grocery store to pick up some necessary items and Arin and David helped rearrange the living room so they could get a few more chairs in there for everyone to have a view of the TV.

Rachel hadn't spoken to Noah yet that day, but she knew he was sleeping in as late as he could and a car would pick them up at three to take them to the awards.

...

Hearing knocking on his door, Noah rolled over and focused on the clock, seeing it was ten-thirty in the morning, "yeah?" He called out, not sure who was trying to wake him up.

Deborah pushed the door open, "are you going to get out of bed sometime today?" She asked with a grin.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied, sitting up, "didn't figure I'd need to get up too early. I finished my homework last night after I got off the phone with Rachel and it doesn't take me that long to get ready," he explained.

"Have you written an acceptance speech, yet? Just in case you need it?" She wondered.

Noah's eyes widened, "I've been so into my homework and the performance, I didn't even think about writing something!" He groaned.

"I'll order something for you from room service. Get up, shower and it should be here by the time you get done. Once you're ready you'll have plenty of time to work on it," she said, resting a hand on his arm, "just relax."

"Thanks mom," he smiled.

"You're welcome," she replied, standing up and moving towards the door.

"Hey mom?" He waited for her to stop, "do you think if I ordered flowers for Rachel, they could be delivered today?"

"I'm sure they could be. Ask your dad. He sometimes sends flowers when you guys are gone."

"Oh, that's right! Cool, I'll talk to him when I get out of the shower," Noah replied.

Deborah nodded, "whenever she gets them, she'll love the surprise."

Noah smiled, "I hope so. I just want her to know that I'm thinking about her, even when we're not talking on the phone or texting."

...

Even with a cast on her arm, Rachel was active in helping get things ready and just after four-thirty, the first few friends showed up and by five Will, Carole, Finn, Quinn, Carly, Ryan, Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Tina, Mike, Brittany, Matt and Santana, along with Arin, Rachel, David and Alan were all gathered around in the living room, snacking on finger foods and watching the 'E! News - Red Carpet' special. Rachel knew that Noah and his parents would not arrive until around six-thirty Ohio time, so they had some time before they'd see them, so they spent the time talking about the fashion of the people there and listening to their favorite groups or singers get interviewed by Ryan Seacrest or others along the red carpet.

The Grammys is an annual awards event, celebrating and honoring those who stood out in the music industry, from all generas of music, not just a select few. During the live broadcast only a portion of the awards would be given out, so during the red carpet, a lot of news was being announced on who had won awards in the categories that wouldn't be shown.

At just six-pm, everyone had given up on eating for a while and were settling into conversations, when someone rang the doorbell. Not expecting anyone else, Alan got up and went to answer the door, while everyone returned their focus to the TV.

As Alan pulled the door open, he found two women, each holding a vase of flowers, "oh, wow! Hello."

"Hello! We have deliveries for a Rachel Berry and an Arin Puckerman," one of the women said.

Alan glanced into the living room, "Arin, Rachel, you have a delivery," he said with a smile.

Exchanging glances, Arin and Rachel got up and moved over to the door, both surprised at the flowers staring back at them. Once they found who each one was, one woman handed Arin the one addressed to her and Alan took Rachel's vase, and after thanking them, Rachel closed the door and stared at their flowers. Arin received a dozen large sunflowers, settled into a tall clear blue vase and Rachel's clear vase had two dozen multicolored roses inside.

"Wow! Those are awesome!" "Nice flowers!" "I bet we can figure out who they are from!" "What does the card say?" Were some of the questions and comments made by the guests as they saw what the girls had received.

Rachel, Alan and Arin moved into the living room and set their vases on the coffee table and Rachel picked up the card from hers, took it off the stem and opened the envelope, pulling out a card with a typed up message, reading it out loud, "_Rach - thinking of you, even when we're not together. Wish you were here; miss you like crazy! See you soon, lots of love, Noah,_" she smiled, wiping her eyes, "they're gorgeous," she said honestly, leaning forward to smell the sweet scent, then looked at Arin's, "what does your card say?"

Arin picked hers up and looked at it, "_Arin - we know you're enjoying your time with the Berrys, but we wish you were here. One day you'll get to come along, promise! Miss you! Love always, mom, dad and Noah,_" she read out loud. "They're really pretty," she added.

"Yes they are," Rachel agreed, slipping her arm around Arin and hugged her.

Returning the hug, Arin nodded, "but it makes me miss them more," she said softly.

"I know what you mean, but they'll be home soon," Rachel promised.

"Yeah, but I still miss them. I can't wait for them to get back," she replied.

Rachel leaned forward and picked up her phone, "why don't you pick up your flowers and I'll take a picture and then we can send it to them and thank them. Maybe they'll get it before we see Noah on the red carpet," Rachel suggested, wanting to help get Arin's mind off missing her family.

Snapping a photo of Arin holding her flowers, with Rachel's camera and her phone, they switched and Rachel held her flower's vase as best she could to get a few photos and she sent one of each her and Arin to Noah, curious when he'd get the message.

Relaxing back into their spots on the couch, the group got back to watching the pre-show. At about six-thirty, Rachel's phone beeped loudly in her hand, causing her to jump in surprise. Glancing at the message she saw it was from Noah, so she opened it to see, "_welcome! Glad you liked. At center, about to get out of the car. Will be chatting with Ryan soon and will text when I can. Love ya both! Say 'hi' to everyone!_" She smiled, "Noah says 'hi' and they just got to the center, so keep an eye out for them," she said, handing the phone to Arin to read the rest of the message.

"Say 'hey' back." "Tell him we're all watching for him." "What are they wearing?"

Rachel heard the replies to his message and when she got her phone back, she replied to him with, "_love you, too! Everyone says 'hi' and we're all looking for you. Hope to see you. Send pictures and messages when you can!_" Sending the message, she joined everyone in watching TV.

Every five to ten minutes there was a commercial break and Rachel was worried that they'd miss glimpses of Noah, Deborah or Ethan, or Noah's interview, and after the second commercial break, Tina swore she saw him, but wasn't sure because the last time she'd seen him, his hair was longer. Rachel responded that he'd shaved his head since arriving in California, so it was much shorter than before, and by the time she finished her words, a camera panned across the crowd and they easily could see Ethan, Deborah and Noah standing near near the E! News areas, where Ryan Seacrest was interviewing arrivals.

Just as they all got a chance to see them clearly, E! went to a commercial, making everyone throw a fit, but after a short break, the show returned with more wide shots of the carpet and this time, Noah, Deborah and Ethan were no where to be seen.

"Did we miss them?" Arin asked.

"I hope not," Rachel replied, trying not to throw something at the TV.

_"And we're back to the red carpet of the 52nd annual Grammy Awards show," Ryan Seacrest said to the camera, "we've talked to many of the nominees tonight and still have many more to come. Right now, joining me is someone I just saw a few days ago," Ryan paused as the camera panned out a little, showing Noah standing next to him, "Puck, you look totally different today. What was with the hair change?" Ryan asked him._

_Noah laughed lightly, "honestly, it's easier to deal with. If it gets any longer it'll curl," Noah replied, "mom helped me to shave it off the other night."_

Rachel was glad they hadn't missed Noah's interview. He was right, his hair was still there, but really short, instead of the few inches it'd grown out to since he'd last had it trimmed. He looked like he had when they first met and started dating, so she couldn't help the smile that grew from memories of the whirlwind first few days of their relationship.

_"Fair enough," Ryan agreed, "I see you dressed casual today, too."_

_The camera panned down Noah's outfit, showing deep navy blue jeans, black skate shoes with white sole and red and green squares on each side of the shoe, along with a black v-neck t-shirt and a black dress jacket, "yeah. To be honest, I'm not much of a dress up kind of guy. I wanna be comfortable," he admitted._

_"So, you're nominated for five awards tonight, do you have a favorite you really want to win over the others?" Ryan asked._

_Noah thought for a moment, "it's an honor to be nominated for any awards and I would love to win any of them, but 'Best Pop Vocal Album' is a big one for me and even more so is 'Album of the Year'," he replied._

_"The ones for you album, any specific reasons why?" Ryan wondered._

_"My album, 'Who I Am' is very special to me. Half of the songs on it, either I wrote myself or my dad and I wrote together, so to have our work be honored like that would mean so much. Just the nominations are amazing, but to win them would be so awesome," Noah told him._

_"Speaking of your dad, he's here with you tonight and who's the woman with you. Your older sister?" Ryan wondered._

_Noah smiled at her, seeing Deborah blush at the compliment as the camera panned to them, standing a few feet away, but the two moved closer, "my mom and dad came with me today. Mom has actually never been to any awards shows, so this is a special day for us."_

_Ryan shook Ethan hand, commenting that he'd met before and when he shook Deborah's hand, he smiled at her, "it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Puckerman, you're looking lovely this evening. I bet you're so proud of your son," Ryan said to her._

_"We are very proud of him," Deborah admitted, blushing at the compliments._

"Mom looks so pretty," Arin said, seeing Deborah dressed in a long, simple, yet beautiful emerald gown, her hair pulled back lightly and a white gold and emerald necklace and bracelet to match.

"Yes, she does," Rachel nodded, "I've never seen her dressed up before."

"I haven't either," Arin replied.

_"So this is your first awards. Why is that and what is your reaction so far?" Ryan asked her._

_"Noah has a younger sister, so I opt to stay home with her, and we watch the awards together, with friends of ours. It's kind of how we've split things so Noah has his dad along with him and I'm home with our daughter. As for my reaction, it's a lot to take in, that's for sure. Very busy and loud, but it's so great to be here."_

_"Well, we're happy to have you all here. Puck, you're performing tonight, right? Anything you can tell us about that?"_

_Noah smirked, "I can say it's going to amazing. I'll be playing a few of my songs, a very new one and my current single, along with a favorite from my childhood. Also, a very special guest will be joining me on stage tonight, too. It's a total dream come true."_

_"Wow! Any hints you can give us? Who is it? What is this 'very new song' you're talking about?"_

_"You'll just have to watch and see," Noah smirked._

_"I guess we will have to," Ryan nodded, "you're here for the awards and then tomorrow, I hear you're going to be a part of the 'We Are The World' recording, is that right?"_

_"I am," Noah nodded, "a lot of us from the awards tonight will be joining together tomorrow to record it, for the twenty-fifth anniversary of it's first recording and when it's posted online, all the proceeds will go to the relief efforts in Haiti. It's an honor to be asked to be a part of this and I'm definitely looking forward to working with all of them."_

_"Now, you're only seventeen, so you weren't around when the song was first done. Have you heard it? Do you know your part? How is it going to work?"_

_"Well, I have heard the original a few times and know my part for this one. As for how it's going to work, I'm not quite sure. I'll find out tomorrow," Noah explained._

_"Alright, well, I'll let you get on with your night. It was great talking to you again, Puck. Nice to meet your parents and good luck on your awards, tonight," Ryan said, shaking Noah's hand, "anything you want to say to the viewers at home?"_

_Noah turned to the camera, "hey everyone watching at home," he waved at the camera, "thank you to all of my fans for all of the support over the years. Also huge shout out to all my friends and family back home. Arin, love ya, sis. Rach, love ya, babe. See you all soon!"_

The room filled with 'awwws' at Noah's words and Arin and Rachel both blushed, a little embarrassed, but also excited from the personal shout out.

Rachel reached for her phone and sent Noah a text message, "_love you, too, sweetheart. Good luck!_"

"Okay, what is Noah keeping from us? Who is he singing with tonight?" Mercedes asked.

"We can't say. Noah wants it to be a surprise," Arin said.

"What? You guys now?" Kurt gasped.

"We've known since New York, but Noah couldn't really say anything to many people because of contracts and what not, but he's allowed to tell a few people," Rachel explained, "we were it, aside from his parents."

"I understand and am used to it," Finn said, "Noah is 'contractually obligated' to follow rules and can't release a ton of information about things like this. His parents, sister, and now Rachel and her dads hear the news first, but that's it until the live broadcast."

"I get it," Carly commented, "it's like spoilers about a TV show. Even if someone knows the truth, like actors and actresses on a show, they could be slapped with a huge fine if they announce what happens until the show airs," she added, "I've heard about it in some of the fan places I am involved in online."

Rachel nodded, "exactly."

...

After seeing Noah on TV, Rachel wasn't sure if she'd hear from him before the awards started, but just after seven, she got a picture message from him with the words, "_my sister will love these,_" and two photos under the text. This first photo was Noah and Taylor with Miley and the other was Noah, Ethan and Deborah with Miley.

"That's so cool!" Arin grinned, seeing the pictures, "I wonder who else they've met!" She replied, passing Rachel's phone around to show the pictures to the others.

"I don't know, we can ask," Rachel replied, getting her phone back and replying to the message with that question.

A few minutes later she got a response with another picture, this time with a picture of Noah and LL Cool J, "_Special Agent Sam Hanna on NCIS LA aka LL Cool J. Get to work with him tomorrow. Seen lots of people. Many pics on mom's camera. Will show you when I get home._" After she read that one to everyone, a second one came from him, adding, "at our seats now. Taylor is sitting behind me. They're trying to get everyone to their seats now, have a few minutes, but not long."

Rachel read the message to everyone and they all understood he couldn't text a lot during the show, so they settled in to watch the rest of the pre-show. As it got closer to eight, some went to gathered more snacks to watch the show and Rachel changed the channel to CBS, the network broadcasting the awards and everyone waited for them start.

...

_Since a lot of the awards had been given out before the live broadcast, there were only about twenty to give out that night, focusing on the most popular categories, R&B, Country, Pop, Rock, Alternative and the overall awards - 'Song of the Year', 'Record of the Year' and 'Album of the Year'._

_During the first hour of the awards being on, the focused on the Rock and R&B categories. Beyoncé won almost every R&B award, except 'Duo or Group' and 'Male Performance'._

_They had several performances, including Lady Antebellum performing their single 'Need You Now', who was introduced by the Jonas Brothers and Jennifer Lopez introduced Green Day, along with the cast of their Broadway musical 'American Idiot', performing '21 Guns'._

Watching the awards, everyone at the Berry's celebrated when one of their favorite acts won an award and they sang along to some of the performances. Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes and a few others, those familiar with Broadway, were shocked that Green Day had put together a Broadway musical, but liked to see the mix of Broadway and popular music.

_Moving on to the second hour of the awards, Miley Cyrus started it out by introducing The Black-Eyed Peas, who sang 'Imma Be' and 'I Gotta Feeling' and then they moved onto the Alternative and Country categories. Taylor Swift won all three awards she was nominated for: 'Best Country Song' and 'Best Female Country Vocal Performance', both with 'White Horse', and her album 'Fearless' won 'Best Country Album. Also during that hour, Sheryl Crow introduced Bon Jovi, who came out and started with 'We Weren't Born To Follow' then, Jon introduced Jennifer Nettles, joining him to sing their duet 'Who Says You Can't Go Home'. As the song ended, everyone thought the performance was over, but Jennfier started talking about the fans voting on a song and 'Livin' On A Prayer' won, so the guys played that as the last song of their set._

Nearing the ten-pm hour, everyone was beginning to get impatient because none of the awards Noah had been nominated for were announced yet. "Wow! I didn't realize they'd save Noah's performance until the last hour," Finn commented.

"Or any of his awards," Rachel sighed.

"It seems like they're doing the awards in groups, so maybe they're saving their best awards until the end," David said.

"Save the best for last," Carly added, using the cliché.

"Maybe," Rachel admitted, "they do always leave a few of the awards until the end, like 'Song of the Year', 'Record of the Year' and 'Album of the Year', but the others could have been done earlier," she glanced at Arin, "are you going to be okay to stay up any later? I didn't realize it, but it's already pretty late," she said, concerned that Arin would have problems in the morning.

"I will be okay," Arin nodded, "as long as I go to bed as soon as the awards are over."

_When the commercials ended and returned to the awards, the female announcer introduced Taylor Lautner, and the cameras panned to him standing on the front of the stage by a single microphone set up._

_Taylor waved at the crowd and let them settle down a little before he began to speak, "this next performer is an extremely talented singer and songwriter. He has the ability to write meaningful songs from experiences and feelings he's had, putting his heart and soul into each word. He's an amazing son, brother, friend and boyfriend and I'm honored to call him one of my best friends. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome 'Album of the Year' nominee Noah 'Puck' Puckerman!"_

...

Sitting on the piano bench, on the darkened stage, Noah listened to Taylor's introduction, smiling at his words, "_the feeling is mutual,_" he thought, taking a deep breath as screams, cheers and clapping began to echo over the center, fans and celebrities cheering him on.

A single spotlight landed on him and he laid his hands on the keys and without hesitation, started the beginning bars of Rachel's song, "Rachel, this is for you," he said into the microphone, as his words and the piano's notes flowing out over the center, calming the cheers from everyone. Focused only on the piano and an image of Rachel he had in his mind, he relaxed and began, "_I'll never be a knight in armor with a sword in hand, or a kamikaze fighter. Don't count on me to storm the barricades and take a stand, or hold my ground._Y_ou'll never see any scars or wounds. I don't walk on coals, I won't walk on water. I am no prince, I am no saint, I am not anyone's wildest dream, but I will stand behind and be someone to fall back on..._" Continuing the piano, he took a deep breath and purposely skipped towards the end of the song, not having time for the whole thing, "_and I'll be that: I'll take your side. If I'm the only one, I'm used to that. I've been alone, I'd rather be: the half of us, the least of you, the best of me, and I will be... I'll be your prince, I'll be your saint, I will go crashing through fences. In your name, I will, I swear - I'll be someone to fall back on! I'll be the one who waits, and for as long as you'll let me, I will be the one you need. I'll be someone to fall back on... One to fall back on..._"

The lights came up in the center, revealing his band and they began to play an extended beginning of 'Sweet Caroline', giving Noah time to put his acoustic electric guitar on and clip his microphone into the stand, "_ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome a musical Jewish icon ... Mr. Neil Diamond!_" Noah smiled into the microphone, jumping right into playing the song on his guitar.

As the center erupted into cheers, Neil walked out and at the right moment, began singing, "_where it began, I can't begin to know it, but that I know it's growing strong._"

Noah stepped up to his microphone and sang the next few lines, "_wasn't the Spring and Spring became the Summer, who'da believed you'd come along?_"

"_Hands... Touching hands... Reaching out... Touching me... Touching You..._" Neil continued on, then Noah joined him for the chorus, "_oh, Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good. I've been inclined to believe they never would..._"

"_Oh, Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good... Oh, I've been inclined to believe it never would, oh, no no,_" Noah ending the song and without missing a beat, his band began 'Live Like We're Dying'.

"_Sometimes we fall down, can't get back up. We're hiding behind skin that's too tough. How come we don't say 'I love you' enough, till it's to late? It's not too late,_" Noah sang, jumping right into the song, "_our hearts are hungry for the food that won't come and we could make a feast from these crumbs. And we're all staring down the barrel of a gun, so if your life flashed before you, what would you wish you would've done?_"

Neil knew most of the song, so he joined in every few lines of the first verse and then helped out with the chorus as Noah sang it all, "_yeah, we gotta start looking at the hands of the time we've been given. If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking if every second counts on a clock that's ticking, gotta live like we're dying... We've only got 86,400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or to throw it all away. Gotta tell them that we love them, while we got the chance to say. Gotta live like we're dying._"

Moving right into the next verse, Noah was trying to stay calm, but couldn't believe someone he grew up listening to was singing his song, with him, "_and if your plane fell out of the skies, who would you call with your last goodbye? Should be so careful who we let fall out of our lives, or when we long for absolution, there'll be no one on the line,_" taking a deep breath, as planned, Noah skipped over the chorus and went right to the bridge, "_you never know a good thing till it's gone. You never see a crash till it's head on. Why do we think we're right when we're dead wrong? You never know a good thing till it's gone._"

Heading right into the final chorus, Noah smiled, glancing at Neil who was still keeping up, "_yeah, we gotta start looking at the hands of the time we've been given. If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking if every second counts on a clock that's ticking, gotta live like we're dying... We've only got 86,400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or to throw it all away. Gotta tell them that we love them, while we got the chance to say. Gotta live like we're dying..._" Noah trailed off and as they slowed the beat down, "_live like we're dying,_" Noah finished, his band stopping when he finished talking.

The center erupted into loud cheers as Noah and Neil bowed and waved towards the screaming fans, then the two, along with Noah's band walked off the stage, while the next presenter went up on stage.

...

As soon as Taylor began speaking, it was easy to figure out who he was introducing, so Rachel turned the volume of the TV up a little.

When Rachel saw her boyfriend on the screen and heard him say 'Rachel, this is for you,' she couldn't help the tears fall from her eyes; he was dedicating the performance to her. Even though she was aware that he was going to sing the song he wrote for her, she still got choked up at what he was doing and wiped her eyes, noticing the confused glances everyone was giving each other.

"That is, Noah, right?" Mercedes asked, looking at the screen, "because I know 'Puck' songs like the back of my hand and that's not one of them."

"Nothing I've heard," Finn agreed.

"He wrote it for me," Rachel whispered, unable to hide the tears that continued to fall.

Though they were shocked at what she said, they didn't get a chance to ask any questions, before Noah finished up that song and moved to a microphone stand and introduced Neil Diamond, "he's performing with Neil Diamond?" Carole gasped.

"That's who Arin was trying to say yesterday!" Kurt added, looking at Rachel and Arin.

Rachel nodded, "yes. Noah wanted it to be a surprise to all of you."

"And I forgot," Arin admitted, blushing as she watched her brother.

"Wow!" Will smiled, "this must be a dream come true for him."

"It definitely is," Finn replied.

Rachel smiled, glad they didn't seem to be upset about Noah keeping that from them. Returning her attention to the TV, she listened to Neil and Noah move onto Noah's current single, which brought back happy memories of when they were filming the video in New York. The words also hit her differently than they had before; they had a deeper meaning now, because when they filmed the video, she hadn't been abducted, and that was kind of a life altering event that brought out a lot of feelings, that were explained into the song, to the surface.

When the performance ended, the room erupted into cheers and clapping, along with the audience at the Staples Center, and Rachel reached for her phone, "_Noah, you and Neil were amazing! I'm so proud of you! Love you so much! Did you really dedicate your performance to me?_" She typed, sending the text message to him, unsure when he'd get it, but wanted him to have it to be there when he did check his phone.

...

_After Noah's performance, Taylor Swift won 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance' with 'You Belong With Me' and the 'Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group' was presented and the awards went to a commercial._

_Coming back from the break, the award for 'Best Pop Collaboration' was given out and then Colbie Caillat came out to present the award for 'Best Male Pop Vocal Performance', one of the awards Noah was nominated for. His song 'Don't Tell Me' was nominated against Jason Mraz, John Legend, Maxwell and Seal, and the screen was split into five sections, each showing the nominees, so they could catch the winner's reaction._

...

Arin grabbed onto Rachel's hand and squeezed it and Rachel took a deep breath, "_please be Noah,_" she thought, focusing on the TV.

...

_"...and the Grammy goes to... Puck for 'Don't Tell Me'!" Colbie called out, reading his name from the folded card._

_Noah gasped in shock and jumped up, turning to his parents to hug them tightly for a moment before pulling away to hug Taylor, and then made his way towards the stage. As he walked along the aisle, many celebrities, actors and performers, stood up and clapped and cheered for him, which made him even more nervous than he was, but smiled and tried to stay relaxed._

_Hearing the fans screaming in the background, Noah climbed the stairs to the stage and waved at them as he reached Colbie, who was standing with a girl holding his award. Noah accepted the award from the girl and Colbie gave him a quick hug and handed him the card she'd opened with his name on it, then the two stepped aside, giving Noah the stage._

_Looking at the award, he smiled as he walked up to the microphone and waited a brief moment for everyone to settle down before he began, "wow! Thank you! I'm shocked," he took a deep breath, "I'd really like to thank my fans, because without you guys I wouldn't be here," he smiled as they screamed at that, "this song means a lot to me and I'd also like to thank my family, my friends, my girlfriend and her family for all of their support and thank you to my band and everyone who had a part in making this song a success," he finished, knowing he didn't have a ton of time to talk._

...

"He won!" Several in the living room exclaimed as they all cheered in excitement from Noah's win and Rachel and Arin hugged tightly, then everyone settled down to listen to his speech.

When Noah walked off stage, Rachel grabbed her phone to send him a congratulations text and so did several others in the room, but quickly returned their attention to the TV to see what the next award was.

...

_LL Cool J was introduced as the next presenter and it was for 'Best Pop Vocal Album', another one Noah was nominated for. His album 'Who I Am' was up against albums by The Black Eyed Peas, Colbie Caillat, Kelly Clarkson and Pink. Like with the other awards, a camera was pointed at each nominee to catch their reaction and this time Noah was backstage with Colbie, because they had to wait until break to return to their seats, so both of them had cameras pointing at them as they waited for the announcement._

_Opening the card, LL Cool J smiled and read the result out loud, "the Grammy goes to... 'Who I Am' by Puck!" He called out, clapping._

_Noah was shocked at the win, but accepted hugs from Colbie and Taylor Swift, because she was waiting to do her performance, and then moved out to the stage, where he shook LL's hand and did the guys 'hug' before taking the award and card from who was holding them, "oh my God. I am just stunned," he admitted, talking into the microphone, "thank you to my fans for everything, my band and all of the people who worked on my album, my dad who helped me write a few songs on it," he took a deep breath trying to gather his thoughts, "to my friends, my family, my beautiful girlfriend, thank you..." He nodded and ended his speech, not thinking clear enough to say anything more._

...

"Two wins in a row! Go Noah!" Matt said clapping along with the others who were cheering for Noah.

Rachel grinned, tears of joy coming to her eyes as she hugged Arin and then sent Noah another congratulations text message, "I'm so happy for him!" She exclaimed.

...

_Instead of going to a break, Taylor Swift went on to her performance with Stevie Nicks, which gave Noah a chance to talk to LL Cool J about the next day, and he asked Noah to be a part of the rap during the 'We Are The World' recording. Noah was shocked, but said he'd be honored to join them._

_When Taylor and Stevie finished their performance, the awards went to their next break, and Noah returned to his seat, getting hugs and congratulations from the people who mattered more, his mom, his dad and one of his best friends, Taylor and told them about his offer from LL Cool J. They were happy for him and Noah was definitely excited to work with everyone the next day._

_As the award's break ended, they returned with the presentation of 'Record of the Year'. Noah was nominated, along with Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga. Taylor Swift's 'You Belong With Me' ended up winning and Noah stood and clapped for her, not upset he lost to her at all._

_After Taylor accepted her award, Adam Sandler walked on stage to present the award for 'Song of the Year'. Noah's 'Home' was nominated and so was, Taylor Swift's 'You Belong With Me', 'Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)' by Beyoncé, 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga and 'Use Somebody' by Kings of Leon._

_Since Beyoncé had won several awards already for her song, Noah really thought she'd win again, but Adam announced 'Home' by Puck as the winner. Gasping in shock again, Noah hugged his parents and Taylor, then headed up to the stage to get his award, saying about the same he had in the last two speeches, shocked and thankful to everyone. Walking backstage, Taylor Swift met him, since she was back there from her win and the two congratulated each other with hugs as Ryan Seacrest went out on stage to present the next and final award of the night._

_Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and 'Puck' all had albums in the category and though Noah was hopeful, he had a feeling he wouldn't win, so he was half focused on the TV screen and half on Taylor, expecting her to be the winner._

_"...and Album of the Year is..." Ryan paused, grinning, "'Who I Am' by Puck!"_

_Noah's mouth fell open in shock, and Taylor could tell he was frozen, so she gave him a quick hug and kind of nudged him towards the stage. He quickly recovered, walking out to the entire center cheering for him. Celebrities from all generas were standing and clapping for him, and though briefly he thought it was from the news of the past few weeks, he pushed it aside and met Ryan, hugging him and accepting the award. He held it up and waved a little, the roar continuing. As the sounds began to settle, he stepped to the microphone, "thank you... thank you so much," he started, his heart racing like crazy, "to say I'm shocked is an understatement. I have nothing but respect for the others in my category and I honestly didn't think I'd win tonight. This is such an honor to be up here, accepting this award, for an album that means so much to me," he continued on, thanking those he had previously, which ended his speech._

...

When Ryan announced Noah's album, the entire living room at the Berry's was noisy from cheers of excitement. Everyone jumped up, hugging each other from the news. The girls closer to Noah, Rachel, Arin and Carole, were crying from happiness and Alan helped calm everyone down so they could listen to his acceptance speech. When he walked off the stage towards the audience, the credits rolled, so Rachel reached and turned the TV off with the remote.

"I'm so proud of him," Carole said honestly.

"Me too!" Arin nodded.

"We all are," Finn added, looking around and getting nods of agreement from everyone.

"What do you think they're doing right now?" Arin asked, looking at Rachel.

Rachel thought for a moment, "honestly, I don't know."

...

Instead of going backstage after accepting 'Album of the Year' and making his speech, Noah went down the stage stairs to find his parents. The awards were now over and the center was beginning to get noisier and busier with people moving around in all different directions, trying to leave. Noah didn't want to lose his parents in the crowd and as he walked down the aisle he passed a lot of people and they all congratulated him. He politely thanked them and finally reached his parents, Taylor and his dad.

"Mom, dad," he smiled, wrapping his arms around his mom.

Deborah was crying from joy and Ethan put his arms around both of them, "we're so proud of you," Deborah said after a few moments, trying to dry her tears; glad she hadn't worn eye make-up.

"Thanks... I'm still shocked. I don't think it's really hit me yet," he admitted, pulling away and looking at the award in his hand.

"You deserve it man," Taylor told him, patting him on the back.

Noah turned a little, "thanks," he replied, giving him a quick hug.

Though Taylor and his dad wanted to stick around, they knew that Noah had things to do because he was an award winner, so they said their goodbyes, knowing they wouldn't see them again before they returned to Ohio.

Waving at them as they walked away, Noah noticed a blond woman coming down the aisle towards him and his parents, but didn't think she was coming towards them until she reached them, "hello, Puck," she waved in greeting, "you probably don't know know me, because you're so young but..."

As soon as she spoke, Noah knew exactly who she was, "It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Newton-John," he said, holding out his hand.

She smiled brightly, shaking his hand, "you do recognize me. It's nice to meet you. Please, call me Olivia."

"Yes, as soon as you spoke I realized who you were. My girlfriend is a huge fan of Broadway musicals and movie musicals, so we've watched Grease many times... And I watched it some when I was a kid, too," Noah explained with a smile.

"Wonderful! It is an always current movie, if you look past the clothing," she admitted.

"Very true," Noah nodded, "Olivia, these are my parents, Ethan and Deborah," he said, motioning to them.

Shaking their hands she smiled, "it's nice to meet you both, as well. You have raised a very talented son," she told them, then turned to Noah, "congratulations on your wins, tonight. You deserve them."

"Thank you," Noah blushed, "that means a lot to hear. I didn't realize you were familiar with my music."

"Well, my daughter, Chloe (1), is a huge fan and I admit I haven't heard all of your music, but I know your singles and your current album. From what I've heard and after listening to your performance tonight, I'm definitely a fan. You were amazing tonight," she explained.

"Thanks, that means so much coming from you," Noah smiled, "it was such an honor to sing with Neil."

"I bet! And that song at the beginning was very emotional. I imagine it's directed towards your girlfriend? I heard what happened and I'm so sorry you had to go through an ordeal like that," she told him.

"It's definitely been a rough few weeks, but we're all slowly getting over it. I'm just so glad she's home safe and sound. I actually wrote the song for her a few weeks ago and sang it to her right before we came out to LA. She loved it," he admitted.

"Oh wow! That's wonderful!" She smiled, "well, I won't keep you long. I know you have things to do, but I wanted to come over, meet you and say I'll see you in a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" Noah eyed her oddly, "what do you mean?"

"Oh! You haven't heard?" She gasped, "myself and Josh Groban will be two celebrity judges at your show choir's regional competition in Detroit in a few weeks. Good luck, I look forward to seeing what your club has come up with," she smiled at him.

"Alright," he nodded calmly, "that's cool. I hadn't heard that, but I also haven't been in school since earlier in the week so I may have missed the announcement," he replied, "so I guess I'll see you in a few weeks."

She nodded at him, "see you then."

"Before you leave, could we get a picture with you?" Noah asked.

"Oh, of course!" She smiled, "my husband can take it," she motioned to the man standing near her.

For the next few moments, Olivia's husband took pictures with Noah's cell phone and Deborah's camera to make sure they got a few good shots. Deborah stood on the end with Olivia next to her, Noah was on Olivia's other side with Ethan next to Noah and Noah had his hand behind Ethan's back with his award, not wanting it to take away from the picture. When her husband had taken the pictures, he handed back their cameras and Noah glanced at the picture and slid the phone into his pocket, while Deborah glanced at hers and when she was satisfied with the picture, they thanked them, shared hugs and soon Olivia and her husband were walking towards the exit.

Once they were far enough away, Noah's shoulders fell, "we're going to have celebrity judges at Regionals?" Noah gasped, "we're fucked."

"Noah Aaron Puckerman, watch your language!" Deborah snapped at him, trying to keep her voice low.

"Sorry, mom, but..." he sighed, "what are we going to do? I know there is no way Will or anyone at McKinley knows about them coming," he told them.

"Well, when we get home and you have your next Glee meeting, you can tell them. It'd be better to tell them in person, rather than over the phone," Deborah said.

"Yeah, in person will be the best," Ethan agreed.

"I know, but... Rachel and I are supposed to be singing lead on a song from Grease, remember?" Noah asked, looking at Ethan.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," he nodded, "well, you picked it way before you knew she'd be a judge."

"That's not the point," Noah took a deep breath, "my point is, that if she's a judge... Do you know how nervous I was to be singing Neil Diamond's song with Neil tonight? Imagine not being a celebrity and singing a song in front of the person who originally sang it... The entire club could have a nervous breakdown," he admitted with a sigh.

"Okay, I see what you're getting at," Ethan agreed, "but let's not worry about that right now. Let's get your awards, and head back to the hotel. You've got a big day tomorrow and then it's back home where we can deal with that," he suggested, trying to get Noah's focus back on what they needed to do at that moment.

"Yeah, you're right. I can't do anything right now and a few days won't be a big deal," he agreed, relaxing a little.

...

Signing for and picking up his awards, Noah wanted to get out of the center and go back to their hotel; he wanted to talk to his girlfriend, but he still had to go through the press photos, which would be a while.

Standing in line, Noah finally got his chance to climb up onto the small stage with his four awards in his hands, posing for pictures and answering some questions from the press, mostly about his awards and plans. He kept things simple and vague, not wanting to give anyone any ideas and in just a few minutes he was done.

Meeting up with his parents, the three of them made their way to the exit and found their ride and soon they were on their way back to the hotel. Pulling out his phone, Noah got a chance to look over his text messages from the night and smiled at all the 'congratulations' messages he'd received from friends and family, replying to his family's messages, then friends saving the best message for last, Rachel's. "_Performance was for you. Thanks for the congrats. Still hasn't hit me. We're on our way back to the hotel. If it's not too late, would love to talk to you!_" He wrote, sending it to her, realizing it was almost twelve-thirty in the morning in Ohio.

...

After the awards, everyone started to leave. Rachel thanked them for coming over and promised to pass on congratulations to her boyfriend when she talked to him next. Finn, Carole, Quinn and Carly stayed the longest, helping Alan and David clean up a little before they left, while Rachel helped Arin get ready for bed and talked to her until she fell asleep.

Just before midnight, the others left, leaving David, Alan and Rachel in the kitchen, but soon they were hugging each other, saying 'goodnight' and going to their rooms. Rachel didn't plan to go to sleep right away, hoping to get a chance to talk to her boyfriend.

Laying her phone on her desk, Rachel moved around her room, changing into her pajamas and then went onto her computer for a little while, checking her email and glancing at a very large 'Puck' fan site that already had high-quality pictures posted of Noah on the red carpet. Saving a few she liked, she closed her computer and stood up, just as her cell phone beeped. Not expecting it, she jumped a little, but recovered quickly and saw the message was from her boyfriend, so she read it and responded with, "_you're welcome and you were amazing tonight! I'm still up and definitely want to talk to you. Call me when you can!_"

Getting up with her phone, Rachel walked over to her bed and pulled back the blankets, sliding in, just as the phone in her hand began to sing Noah's ringtone. Smiling, she hit the answer button, "hey handsome."

"Hey, baby. I'm handsome, huh? I take it I get the stamp of approval?"

"You do. I just went online to see some of the official pictures from the awards. You look great," she blushed, "it makes me miss you even more," she added.

"I'll be home in less than forty-eight hours," he promised, "how are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she nodded, taking a deep breath as she laid back in her pillows, "this weekend has been pretty good. I had fun at the mall, even though I was a little nervous and then today, with everyone over... I'm slowly getting back to myself... but enough about me. I wanna hear about you. How are you feeling?"

Noah took a deep breath and smiled, "I'm doing alright. Relieved. There's no more waiting and wondering how things will go. The performance was great and winning the awards was amazing. The only thing that would have made tonight even better was if you and my sister had been here, too."

"There's always other awards to go to. We'll all get there one day," she assured him. "I'm so happy for you. One award was awesome... but four? Noah, that's epic! We have to celebrate when you get home."

"We will, babe, we will. We're just getting back to the hotel now, so if I lose you, I'll call you back once we're in our room. Have to get on the elevator," he explained, as the driver pulled up in front of the hotel.

"It's alright. I'll be here. Everyone loved your performance. They were pretty shocked at your song and who you got to sing with," she told him.

"Oh yeah? They weren't mad that I didn't tell them?" He asked hopeful.

"No, they weren't. They understood," she assured him, "and even though I knew what you were going to sing, I didn't know how you would, so it was really cool to see the final product," she added, "you guys were amazing."

"Thank you," Noah smiled, "I'm glad you liked it."

"More liked 'loved it'," she admitted, feeling her body relax, "_you can't fall asleep, Rachel,_" she thought, realizing that laying down was probably not the best idea, so she shifted and sat up.

"What are you doing?" He asked, hearing the rustling of blankets and mattress springs.

"Trying to get comfortable, but not enough that I fall asleep," she admitted. "It's almost one in the morning."

"Oh, yeah, I hate this time difference. If you need to get to sleep, I understand. We can talk tomorrow sometime," he paused, "I don't know when, actually."

Rachel took a deep breath, "because you'll be in the studio all day?"

"Yeah," he nodded as he followed his parents into the hotel lobby and over to the elevators. "LL Cool J asked me to be a part of another portion of the song, so I need to look over the music again, but I think I'll be okay with it."

"That's wonderful, Noah! It sounds like you'll be quite busy tomorrow," she commented.

Stepping onto the elevator, Noah hoped he didn't lose his signal and replied to Rachel, "I hope I won't be too busy, but maybe. I hear there may be some downtime between recording, depending on when everyone comes in and how long it takes them to record."

"Sounds like an all day event, but it's for a good cause," she replied, "I'm excited to hear it."

"I doubt I'll be able to bring home the final edit, but I should have it in a few days. I think they want to release it officially at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada," he admitted, "which I think is the weekend we're going to Regionals, in a couple of weeks."

"Oh wow," she sighed, "I didn't realize it was so soon," she bit her lip.

"Rach, don't even worry about it. We've got plenty of time," he assured her, not wanting her to get worked up about Glee or Regionals.

"But we only have," she jumped up and moved to her desk, flipping her calendar up to February, "we're supposed to be in Detroit for Regionals in less than two weeks!" She gasped, "the awards were on January thirty-first and now it's after midnight, so it's February, and we're supposed to be on our way to Detroit by the twelfth!"

Stepping off the elevator, Noah had his hands full, holding his phone to his ear with his shoulder, "baby, calm down, relax," he said softly, following his parents to their room, "our routine hasn't changed since you disappeared and we're sticking with it... and on top of that, remember Sectionals? Remember how we managed to pull off three brand new songs without much time to practice? We'll be fine! If you don't go back to school this week, then maybe next Monday you can and that still gives us plenty of time to work out any problems we may have."

Hearing his voice, Rachel tried to relax, her mind beginning to race with fears and worries, "but... I have a cast now and what about our costumes? And we haven't practiced as a group for weeks, you're gone and what if we don't place? Everyone is going to blame me!"

"No they're not," he replied quickly, "Rachel, just calm down. We're going very casual with everything and Kurt has your clothes. I'm surprised he didn't mention it while you guys were out yesterday or even tonight, but I'm sure he will," he added, moving into his room and setting the few awards he had in his hands down on his bed, "we've got plenty of time, I promise."

Closing her eyes, Rachel took a deep breath and then walked over to her bed, sitting down on the edge, "I really want to believe that," she admitted softly, "but I just can't help worrying. You know me."

"Yes, I do. But I also know that I'm dating an amazing young woman who is extremely talented and very determined. I know she won't have any problem with our performance," he said honestly, "I'm not lying to you, babe. We've got plenty of time," he said again.

"Thanks, Noah," she smiled, blushing at his compliment. Sliding back under the blankets, she glanced at the clock, "you always know what to say to make me smile."

"Besides it being the truth, like you said, I know you," he smirked, taking a seat on his bed, "your voice changes tone slightly when you're insecure or worried and even though I tell you all the time, you still blush at my compliments about how beautiful you are," he explained.

"Noah, you are an amazing boyfriend. I don't know how I managed to snag you, but I'm not letting you go," she said honestly, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Rachel. Want me to stay on the phone until you fall asleep?" He asked, knowing she was in bed already.

"I'd love that," she replied, "but you don't have to."

"I want to," he assured her, smiling and shifting out of his jacket he'd worn that night, "I could even sing to you, if you'd like."

"No," she shook her head, "I'll start crying if you sang to me."

"Okay, no singing. I'll save that for when I do get home," he grinned.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Goodnight, Noah."

"Night, Rach."

...

**References:**

I used 52nd Grammy Awards ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ 52nd_Grammy_Awards ) for all the main information about the 2010 awards, including performers and the award winners. I did change some of the winners to go along with the fic and have given YouTube links for all the performances I mentioned in the story (under author's notes).

Underlined text is from Glee's episode '1x08 - Mash-up'.

Noah dressed like Mark Salling did at the Glee Spring Premiere on April 12, 2010. You can see a picture here: ( rachel - puck . net/ gallery/ displayimage . php? album = 333 &pid = 33450 #top_ display_ media )

1. Olivia Newton-John's info on Wikipedia ( en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ Olivia_Newton-John )

...

A/N6: I hope you guys enjoyed. I've had this awards chapter in my head since July 2010 (I wrote the Olivia N-J scene then) and am so glad I have been able to share it with you all. Review and let me know!

A/N7: Out of the Blue just had it's second birthday in mid-October, which was my first ever Puckleberry fic written and I have many more to come. To all of my readers, thank you for everything! For supporting my writing, for reading, reviewing, praying for my family when we were going through rough times, your words of encouragement; all of it! I honestly can't thank you enough for how you guys have helped me out these past few years! You all are amazing, I love you and I hope you all will continue this journey with me!

A/N8: Any Terra Nova watchers out there? I love it and am shipping Reynolds and Maddy, Reynon. I just wrote and posted a short one-shot called 'Alright' and am going to continue to write fics for them, too, but I promise it won't take away from my Puckleberry fics; I just love them enough to write fics for them, too.

...

**Performances by:  
****Fictional:  
**Puck & Neil Diamond - "Someone To Fall Back On", "Sweet Caroline" & "Live Like We're Dying"  
Introduced by Taylor Lautner

- Thanks **myfatalillusions**, for letting me know about the original version of 'Someone To Fall Back On' by Jason Robert Brown on his 'Wearing Someone Else's Clothes' album. I didn't know of the original version and it's definitely close to what I imagined Noah singing. Here's a video of someone playing Jason's version on YouTube: ( youtube . com / watch ?v = 9QLoqgQWMRo )  
- Back on Easter 2010, the Glee cast played at the White House and Mark sang 'Sweet Caroline'. It's a live version, so it's similar to what 'Puck' would sing at the awards: ( youtube . com / watch ?v = yXHdP07IS3M )  
- Here's a video of Kris Allen performing 'Live Like We're Dying' on the 'Live AOL Sessions'. Similar to 'Puck's' version. ( youtube . com / watch ?v = fTwef9e-iYk )

**The real ones from the Grammy Awards - January 31, 2010  
**Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"  
Who is Lady Antebellum? *wink* The only version I care about is the Puckleberry one!

Green Day & Cast of _American Idiot_ - "21 Guns"  
( youtube . com / watch ?v = CZfk_WT5Zhw )

The Black Eyed Peas - "Imma Be" and "I Gotta Feeling"  
( youtube . com / watch ?v = ogBKrxSnNDk )

Bon Jovi & Jennifer Nettles - "We Weren't Born to Follow", "Who Says You Can't Go Home" & "Livin' on a Prayer"  
( youtube . com / watch ?v = 6APQU6Ygxgs )

Taylor Swift & Stevie Nicks - "Today Was a Fairytale", "Rhiannon" & "You Belong With Me"  
( youtube . com / watch ?v = cn1XTUyzBB0 )

...


	41. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

A/N4: This chapter covers Noah's last day in LA. It's his involvement in recording 'We Are The World' and there won't be a lot of Rachel in it until later in the chapter. This is Noah's point-of-view of the day, dealing with the things he was doing; he'll have some conversations with other artists, some we've seen in here before and some we haven't. I hope you enjoy! I've been planning it for a while!

...

True to his word, Noah stayed on the phone until Rachel fell asleep and after ending their call, he created and sent her a short text message that read, "_night babe, love you. Talk to and see you soon!_"

Putting his phone on his nightstand, he changed into sweats and a t-shirt and headed into the main room of the suite, finding his parents both changed into comfortable clothes and his dad working on the computer, "hey," he said.

"Hey, Noah. How's Rachel?" Deborah asked curiously.

"She's good. Really happy for me. Is looking forward to us coming home; she misses me. She's also a little freaked out about Glee and Regionals," he explained.

"Did you tell her about Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban?" Ethan wondered.

"No way," Noah shook his head, "but when I told her 'We Are The World' is going to be released at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in a few weeks, I mentioned it was the same weekend as Regionals and she freaked out. She's worried that she won't have enough time to get ready for competition and her cast will cause issues."

Ethan thought for a moment, "she'll be fine. She picks up things very quickly and I really don't think her cast will be a problem and if it is, I'm sure you guys have plenty of time to figure out a way to fix the dance routine so it's not an issue."

"That's what I figured and I told her that, too," Noah admitted, sitting down on the couch, "she's just over emotional because of everything. I can't wait to get home; I feel helpless here," he added, "when are we going home?"

Ethan motioned to the computer, "that's what I'm trying to figure out. There are not many flights to Columbus until really late Tuesday, unless you want to take an early Tuesday morning one," he told him, "because you're booked all day tomorrow and hard telling exactly when you'll finish at the studio."

Noah nodded, "yeah. I know they want to get it all recorded tomorrow, so it could be a long process. Didn't they say something about being done by ten or eleven tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, they did," Ethan nodded, pulling up the flights he'd been looking at.

"What are times and when would we get home? I really don't want to get home on Wednesday, because I'll feel like shit to go back to school on Thursday," Noah said honestly.

"Well, the late ones leaving here on Tuesday night will put us at home in the middle of the day on Wednesday, so it looks like we'll have to take an early Tuesday morning flight. There's one that leaves at two-am," he commented.

Noah thought for a moment, "and it's eight hours of flying, and the three hour time change, so that will get us to Columbus at one in the afternoon, Tuesday, right?"

Ethan checked the time and nodded, "yep. So we could be back in Lima by three or four."

"Let's take it," Noah said with a grin, "we can surprise Arin and Rachel for dinner."

"That's going to make for a long day, though," Deborah admitted. "Don't you have to be at the studio by nine in the morning?"

"Yeah, but we can drink coffee and sleep on the flight," Noah replied, "we'll just have to make sure, in the morning before we leave for the studio, we pack up most, if not all of our things, so we don't have to do that when we get back that night. And it's an early morning flight, so we shouldn't have long waits to get through any lines. I think it's a great flight to take."

Deborah thought for a moment, "you do have a point. I just wanted to make sure you're up for it. I guess if you do have to stay at the studio that long, I can come back here for a while and make sure we do have things packed."

Ethan glanced between them, "so book them?" He asked, wanting to make sure they weren't going to change their minds.

"Yes, book them," Noah replied with a grin and Deborah nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'll book them for all five of us, then find flights from Columbus to New York for Tim and Alex," Ethan added, turning to the computer to purchase the flights.

...

Chatting lightly with is parents for a little longer and celebrating his award wins with sparkling apple cider, Noah soon said 'goodnight' and returned to his room. Before laying down for the night, he pulled out a folder from his bag with the sheet music for 'We Are The World' and glanced over the new section he'd be working on. Reading over the words several times, he got an idea of the beat and soon he had it down, enough to get through until he could hear the real music behind it. Setting the papers aside, he set his alarm for seven-am and laid down, excited to know he'd be home with his girlfriend in less than two days.

...

Waking up in the morning, Noah got ready and dressed simply, faded black jeans and a black t-shirt with long sleeves, 'Puck's' normal style and joined his parents in the suite's main room for breakfast. Tim and Alex came over around eight and found out their plans, so the guys returned to their room to start packing, but by eight-thirty all five of them were piling into their rental SUV and making the short trek to the recording studio.

During the drive, Noah wrote a text message to Rachel, letting her know they were on their way to the studio and he didn't know when he'd be able to reply next, but wanted to say 'hi' and that he loved and missed her. Sending the message, he turned his phone on silent so it didn't beep during recording and watched as they pulled into the parking lot.

Finding a place to park, they were there with ten minutes to spare and Noah wasn't quite sure what or who he'd find when they got into the building. He knew of a few artists and producers who would be there, but also knew they were just a small portion of the people participating in the song.

Walking into the building, it was already busy. The entire studio was being used for the recording of the song and all Noah knew was to be there by nine. Checking in with the girl at the front desk, she gave him a 'tentative schedule' and told him she'd let the producers know he was there and to head to the large lounge where everyone was hanging out.

Thanking the girl for the information, Noah moved back towards his parents, Tim and Alex and they all headed in the direction of the lounge while Noah looked over the paper he'd been given. The schedule seemed to make sense. The day had started at eight and from then until ten-am, they were staggering in the individual soloists to record their lines. Noah knew of a few who had solos in the song, including himself, Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas. According to the schedule, around ten-am, though soloists could still be finishing up, the guys who were part of the rap would head into the studio and get to work on recording it. Hoping to have the rap and all the individual soloists done by noon, an hour break was given for a catered lunch and by one, they wanted to get going on the major work - the recording of the chorus and background vocals with everyone who wanted to be involved. That would take the longest, which is why it was at the end of the day.

Stepping into the lounge, it reminded Noah of a school lunch room; tons of tables scattered around the room with chairs around each one. Several of the tables had things piled on it from artists who were already there, but was in recording, a few tables had unfamiliar faces sitting at it, but Noah figured they were there with someone who was in recording, and at a couple tables had artists sitting at it with their 'people', talking while they waited for their turn in the studio.

Noah, his parents and bodyguards moved over to one of the empty tables near the wall and took seats, Noah's eyes returning to the schedule and skimmed over the individual soloist list. At first he saw his name, Miley and Nick, and as he reread the names, he gasped when he saw two very familiar female names, both scheduled to be in the studio at eight-thirty, "whoa! I think I just won the 'Boyfriend of the Year' award," he grinned, handing the paper off to Ethan.

Ethan and Deborah glanced at the list, unsure what he was talking about, "why is that?" Ethan asked curiously.

"Look at the eight-thirty block of soloists; the two woman," Noah clarified.

"Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion? What are you talking about?" Deborah wondered.

"Rachel loves them. She calls Barbra her idol and do you know how happy she'd get if I brought home their autographs, especially for her?" He asked, picturing her excited face, including happy crying, "if I would have known they were both going to be here, I'd have tried to pick up an album of each of theirs to get them to sign," he admitted.

Deborah grinned, "that's a wonderful idea, Noah! Rachel will love that! I'm familiar with their music so I can go get a couple CDs for you, if you want to do that."

"Really? You would?" Noah smiled brightly, surprised at her offer, but definitely willing to take her up on it.

"Well, Tim's gonna have to take me, since he knows LA, but yeah, I would," Deborah replied, "I can make sure I get an album that has her favorite song on it... Do you know any of them?"

"Thanks, mom!" Noah replied, pulling out his phone, "let me look. I asked her to put some of her favorite songs on my phone a while ago, so I should have a few of them," he admitted, looking through his music. Landing on the playlist she'd created called 'Rachel's Faves', he sorted them by artist's name, "uh, the only Barbra one she has on here is 'Don't Rain On My Parade' and for Celine there's 'Taking Chances'," Noah explained.

"Okay. I could get something like their greatest hits albums. Those songs should be on them," she explained, glancing at Tim, "you up for a trip?"

"Sure. I know a few places nearby that should have what you're looking for," he replied with a shrug. "Wanna go now or wait a while?"

"Now would be good. The sooner we get back the more time Noah will have to catch up with them," she replied.

"Thanks, mom," Noah said again, smiling at her.

"You're welcome, Noah," she returned his smile.

...

Standing up, Deborah and Tim said 'goodbye' and excused themselves from the other three, heading back out to the SUV, leaving Alex, Noah and Ethan in the lounge.

Just after they left, an assistant came and got him, showing him to the studio where he'd be working on his solo; the first three lines of the song. After meeting with some of the people there, they got to work, going over the words with the already recorded background music and when Noah was confident he was ready, the began recording.

On top of the vocal recording, joining every soloist in the studio was a cameraman. Noah had been told by the producer that there would be cameras all over that day, taking video of the soloists, groups and anyone recording that day, to be used along with footage from Haiti, as the music video.

Though he wasn't used to having a camera in the studio with him, Noah kept calm and professional and focused on what he was there for and after a third take, he glanced up from the mic and saw Lionel Richie listening to him. "_Oh wow, that's not something you see every day,_" he thought, nodding at the older man.

Lionel leaned over the soundboard and pressed a button, "Puck that sounds great! Let's do it one more time, just like you did, but end the last word before the next beat and I'll think you'll be finished," he told him.

"Alright," Noah replied, taking a sip of water and after setting aside the bottle, he signaled them that he was ready. The sound tech restarted the song and Noah let the background music play, following along with the sheet music and on his cue, he sang his lines again, ending it like Lionel had told him, and looked at the man for his response.

"Perfect, Puck! Great job; you're all done for now."

"Okay, cool," Noah smiled, taking the headphones off and moving into the other room.

"Thank you for doing this," Lionel said, holding out his hand.

Noah shook his hand, "you're welcome, sir, but I should be the one thanking you. It's an honor to be a part of this," he admitted honestly.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Lionel smiled, "and sir? Please call me Lionel, we're all friends around here," he added, patting him on the shoulder, and guiding him out of the studio as they talked, "now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go see how everyone else is doing. LL will find you when he and the guys are ready to record," he told him.

"Okay, sounds good. See you later," Noah nodded at him and while the man went one way, Noah went the other, heading back to the lounge.

Glancing around, his eyes landed on the table he'd left his dad and Alex at and found that the three Jonas Brothers and Miley were sitting there as well, "hey guys, and girl," he said moving to the empty seat where his bag was sitting, between Ethan and Nick.

"Hey Puck!" Miley grinned, getting up and wrapping her arms around him, "congratulations on your awards! I didn't get to see you after the ceremony last night to say that then."

"Thanks," Puck gave her a friendly hug, "it's alright. It was definitely busy last night," he added, taking his seat.

"Yeah, man, congrats," Nick said, patting him on the back when he sat down, "Mr. Big Winner," he winked.

Noah blushed, "that was a shocker. I really thought Taylor would take the last one," he admitted, sitting back and casually scanning the room to find it was now filled with more artists from various generas kicking back and talking with others. Off to one side, he saw Barbra and Celine talking and at the next table, he found an older man and a younger one, who he quickly recognized as Josh Groban, "oh man," he groaned, remembering what he'd learned the night before.

"I take it you just saw Josh, huh?" Ethan asked him.

"Yeah," Noah nodded, "I didn't realize he'd be here."

"What are you talking about?" Joe wondered.

"If I tell you, you guys gotta promise you won't say anything to anyone," Noah begged, not wanting it to get out just yet. At the nods and words, promising they'd keep quiet, Noah continued, "last night after the show, Olivia Newton-John and her husband up to us. She wanted to meet me and tell me she'd see me in a few weeks. I was confused at what she meant, and she told me that her and Josh Groban would be a few of the judges on the panel at the show choir competition, that the club I'm in back home will be going to in a few weeks," he explained, "and I haven't been told anything about it, so either no one at home knows or they're waiting for me to get home to tell me. If they don't know, I don't want them to find out until I can tell them in person," he added.

"Oh, man, that sucks. Do you think it's going to be a problem with you both being here today?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, honestly. I've never had to deal with this before," Noah glanced at Ethan, "maybe you should call Mr. Schue," he mentioned.

"You have a teacher named Mr. Shoe?" Miley asked.

"Not S-h-o-e... It's S-c-h-u-e, short for Schuester. He's my Spanish teacher and the Glee director and now my dad is one, too," Noah explained.

The men at the table laughed lightly at Miley's sidebar, and then everyone turned their attention to Ethan. "There's a rule book online. I'll check it out. Knowing you are a member of a group going to the competition, I can't believe they would have picked celebrity judges, unless they don't have rules against it."

"All the more reason to figure it out," Noah sat back again, rubbing his forehead in frustration, "I'm not saying I'll be working directly with him today, but we are going to be singing on the same song and I sure as hell don't want to be the reason we're disqualified from Regionals."

"Just relax, Noah. Things will work out," Ethan smirked, "I think you need to be taking the advice you're giving Rachel about Regionals, too."

Noah opened his mouth to reply, but then realized what his dad meant; Noah had been reassuring Rachel things would work out, while she's been worrying about Regionals, and now Noah was worrying just like her, "alright, alright, I'll try," he blushed again, taking a few deep breaths and tried to calm down, wanting to change the subject, "anyway, have you guys started filming yet?" He asked, looking at the three brothers.

...

Understanding the reason for the change in subject, Nick, Kevin and Joe explained they were on a few day break from filming 'Camp Rock 2' and would be returning the next day to continue work on it. Pulling a disc out of his bag, Joe gave Noah the CD and told him he'd gotten a copy of the soundtrack for him, so he could listen to it and share it with Rachel. Noah thanked him for it, and slid it into his own bag, not wanting to lose it.

Just after ten, Wyclef Jean appeared in the doorway and called out for everyone who was going to be part of the rap portion of the song. Noah got up and excused himself from the table and met up with Wyclef, LL Cool J, Will., Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and a few other guys and headed down to the open room where they'd be recording.

The room had a partial feel to the choir room Noah spent a lot of time in at McKinley, but it was definitely a lot larger. In the center of the room there were risers set up and behind them were large projecting screens. Along the walls were numerous music stands with headsets hanging on them, getting ready for later in the day when the huge group would be in there. In front of the risers there was a few music stands set up with the sheet music on it and several microphones were set up next to them, ready for them to get to work.

Since Noah didn't know any of the guys, LL introduced him to them, and Noah admitted he was definitely intimidated, because he didn't see himself as a rapper. LL, being familiar with Noah's music because he has teenage daughters, assured him he'd be great and guys told him they'd give him pointers if he needed help.

Thanking LL for the compliment and the guys for the offer, they all quickly got down to business, knowing they had a lot to do in a short amount of time.

Starting out by going through the rap to get a feel for it with everyone together, they quickly decided that only a portion of them would rap the whole thing, while the others created background vocals. Noah was keeping up with them and impressing the guys with his voice, so they wanted him to do the whole rap, along with LL, Wyclef and Will., having the others join in every once and a while with more vocals to liven up the rap.

With a decision made, they started practicing again and with the change, it sounded a lot better and wasn't long before they were recording. Lionel and other producers were listening in and though the first few times through they got some corrections, they worked them out and by the fourth time through, after they'd finished and listened to it played back, they all agreed it was perfect.

Exchanging handshakes, the guys talked for a few minutes and Wyclef thanked them all for being part of the recording. Noah found out he was born in Haiti and lived there for a portion of his life, so he was very attached to the song and appreciated anyone who was involved with helping raise money for the country, devastated by the earthquake in January.

Returning to the lounge, Noah went back over to the table, finding his mom and Tim were back, "hey, mom, did you get them?" He asked hopeful as he greeted her with a hug.

"I did," Deborah nodded, motioning to the two CDs folded up in a Best Buy shopping bag, "and with this being lunch time, it may be the best time to catch them," she replied.

Noah nodded, "that's what I'm hoping. Thank you so much," he said, retaking his seat and reaching for the CDs. Pulling the two albums out of the bag, the Celine Dion on was on the top and it was one called 'My Love - Ultimate Essential Collection', a two-disc album with tons of her popular songs, including 'Taking Chances', 'My Heart Will Go On' from Titanic and 'Beauty and the Beast'. Glancing at the Barbra Streisand one, 'The Essential Barbra Streisand', he saw it was a similar idea, basically a two-disc greatest hits album, with 'Don't Rain On My Parade' and her duet with Neil Diamond 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'. "Awesome! Now, if only I can get the guts up to go ask them to do this, it'd be even better," he admitted.

"Do what? Sign them?" Nick asked, "and for what?"

"Yes, sign them," Noah nodded, "for Rachel. She loves Barbra and Celine and after everything she's gone through, I think this would be a really great way to surprise her. She's doing really well, but it would definitely help keep her spirits up."

"And you'll get tons of points on the boyfriend scale, too," Miley added with a smirk.

"That too," Noah blushed. "I feel like crap because I had to leave her so soon after she got home and I know she understands, but I still feel bad. Just the thought of her reaction to seeing these is enough to want to do this," he admitted.

...

Noah had joined everyone just after noon and the caterers were setting up for lunch. Slowly the large group of people in the lounge began to make their way towards the tables filled with food, getting some things on their plates and returning to their tables to eat.

Like Deborah said, lunchtime was the best chance Noah had of getting a moment to talk with the two women, and about twelve-thirty, he noticed they were still seated at the same table and neither were eating, so he pulled a few Sharpies out of his bag and grabbed the CDs, "well, wish me luck," he said nervously.

"You'll be fine," Ethan assured him, "just remember your manners," he added.

"I always do," Noah replied, taking a deep breath and standing up. Moving through the various tables and chairs, with artists seated or standing while they ate and were talking, he finally reached the table he was heading towards; currently empty except for the two women sitting next to each other, so he came to a stop next to the chair beside Barbra, "excuse me, Mrs. Streisand?" Noah said quietly.

The older woman turned and looked at him, smiling when she realized who it was, "hello, Puck. No need to be so formal, you're welcome to call me Barbra," she said, motioning to the chair, "have a seat."

Noah nodded, "thank you," he slid into the seat, "you can call me Noah," he replied.

"It suits you," she nodded. "What brings a young Grammy award winner over to speak with me?" She wondered curiously, smiling at him, "congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you," he said again and smiled, unable to hide the blush growing on his cheeks, "I have a favor to ask," he admitted. "I'm not quite sure how much you know about me, but I have a girlfriend back home in Ohio. She's such an awesome girl and is so talented, with dreams of being on Broadway one day. I know, without a doubt, she'll make it. We had an issue at our show choir competition back in December and she needed to come up with a ballad to sing quickly and she chose 'Don't Rain On My Parade'; she was amazing. She idolizes you, Barbra, and is also a huge fan of Celine's," he glanced around her to look at Celine briefly. "I didn't know you two would be here today, but when I saw your names on the list, I knew I had to get your autographs for her, so my mom went out and got these," he helped up the albums. "My girlfriend has recently gone through a pretty traumatic experience and is home safe now, but she's still not fully over what happened and has a broken wrist from it, too. She's slowly getting better and your autographs would be a really great way to surprise her."

Barbra smiled brightly, "I'd love to sign that for her," she told him, reaching for one of the pens he was holding up.

"Me too!" Celine agreed, also smiling at him, "what's her name?"

Noah slid her CD and the other pen over to her, "her name is Rachel," he replied, spelling her name for them and smiling, trying to stay calm, but he was excited to see Rachel's face when he gave them to her.

...

While Noah had been eating, he'd opened each CD and removed the booklets, so it was easier for the women to deal with and he was glad he had; they were able to pick it up and flip through it while they contemplated where and what to write to her.

Mad at himself for not bringing his camera, he settled to take a few pictures of them writing in the booklets with his phone, planning to get some nicer ones of them holding the autographed album, so Rachel could have something like 'proof' they really did sign it, even though he knew she'd believe him.

Not rushing the women, Noah realized he hadn't checked his messages since that morning and found a two from his girlfriend. The first one was a response from his morning message, telling him she loved him, too, and understood. The other was letting him know she couldn't wait to hear about his experience in the studio. Smirking at her text, he hit the reply button and began typing, "_thanks for understanding, babe. Love ya! I'm on a lunch break, so am getting to my phone. My solo and the other part I'm working on is recorded,_" he sent the message because it was getting too long to fit and wrote another one, "_after lunch the whole group is getting together for the chorus. Lots of work there. What are you up to? Your dads go back to work yet?_" He asked, wanting to know, so he could figure out a way to surprise her the next day.

Just as Noah was about to put his phone away, a new message popped up on his screen and it was her reply, "_busy day! Hope you have fun, too! Dad is working, daddy is still off. Arin and I are doing homework. I'm trying to catch up. When are you coming home?_"

"_Not sure when. Dad was looking at flights, but I don't know if he found one yet. Say 'hi' to Arin and your dads. Break's over soon. Will text when I can,_" he wrote and sent it to her, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He didn't like lying to her, but he didn't want to spoil the surprise.

As he looked up, he saw Celine closing the cap to her pen and he smiled, seeing the black ink on the cover and knew she'd signed the front. "Thank you," he nodded at her. "I really appreciate this."

Celine smiled, "you're welcome, Noah. May I ask you why she's not here with you?"

"Oh, um, well she was supposed to come with me to California this weekend, but after what happened, she really wasn't ready to be around a whole bunch of people just yet," Noah explained.

Barbra finished up her autograph and closed her pen, letting the paper dry a moment before she slid it back into it's case, "I wrote inside a few places, too," she added, showing him the cover.

"This is awesome, thank you again," he smiled, taking them both back, "we still have some time and I was kind of hoping we could get a few pictures together, too. I left my camera in my bag, though."

"We can go over with you," Celine offered.

"Really?"

"Sure thing," Barbra nodded.

...

Heading over to Noah's things, he pulled his camera out and after passing introductions around, he got a picture of each woman up close, holding the CD booklet with their autograph on it, so Rachel could see the writing and then he stood in between them and Ethan took a few pictures. Miley suggested Ethan and Deborah get into the picture, too, so she took the camera from Ethan and nudged his parents into the view of the camera and got some pictures of Noah's parents, Noah and the two women together.

When Noah was content with the pictures, the women founds seats and joined the group, and Noah put the albums back together and slid them into the bag to protect them.

Just after one-fifteen, the announcement was made that they were ready for the chorus, so every artist who was there grabbed a bottle of water and made their way into the large room the guys had been in earlier to do the rap, picking up a copy of the sheet music at the door. Noah had never seen so many musical artists all in one place, aside from an awards show, and he couldn't even name half of them.

As with the past two times, before jumping into the recording, the man who was directing the chorus explained the music and they went through each section several times for people to get a feel of how it would go. With so many people, from various musical generas, it was a lot of work to get everyone's voice to blend together, and it took a few hours of work to get the general idea down and when they broke for dinner just after five, they were closer to recording.

When Noah and the rest of the artists returned to the lounge for their catered dinner, Noah found that his dad was the only one there. Ethan explained that Deborah and the guys had returned to the hotel to pack up their things and make sure everything was mostly ready so when they got back that night they'd have less to do. Understanding that, Noah was now even more excited to get home, knowing it'd be in less than twenty-four hours.

Sending a sad-face text message to his girlfriend, he explained that he'd been in the studio for several hours and probably wouldn't be out until late Ohio time, so he wouldn't get to talk to her before bed. She responded to him, assuring him she understood and with a wink-face, she said he could make it up to her when he got home. Noah was glad Rachel was so understanding about the minimal communication, but he still felt bad and definitely was ready to go home to her.

Pushing aside his feelings to focus on the job at hand, he and all the other artists returned to the studio and got back to work. They finally got to the recording stage and section after section they recorded pieces and played them back so they could hear it and if they didn't like something, they'd redo it, and when they were satisfied with the piece, they'd move onto the next part.

By eight-thirty, they were on their last section and after recording and replaying it back twice, they corrected their mistakes and recorded it a third time. Listening to it once more, Lionel called a wrap on the recording and thanked everyone for being a part of the event.

Cheers erupted and even those who hadn't done a lot of talking throughout the day, but were standing near each other, shook hands or hugged. Everyone having a good feeling about what they'd just been a part of.

During the chorus, Noah was standing within feet of LL Cool J, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Miley, the Jonas Brothers, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Randy Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Fergie, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, Pink, Usher, Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, Nicole Richie, Lionel's daughter and also with Joel Madden, and numerous other artists he knew of or listened to and many more that he didn't recognize. He couldn't help being a little starstruck during the day, but had managed to keep his calm and stay professional and had a feeling that he wasn't the only one feeling that way. Noah also had an opportunity to speak briefly with a few of them he did know of including Benji, Joel and Nicole, who had their daughter with them, Fergie, Jason and Adam, but their conversations were brief because they didn't have too long to mingle.

In the back of his mind, Noah knew that most of the artists around him were ones his friends back home would know of and he felt bad he couldn't get autographs for all of them, so he settled for the two most important ones he'd already gotten, Celine's and Barbra's.

Noah hadn't spoken to Josh that day; he wasn't purposely ignoring him, but both guys seemed to be talking to different people and even though they were standing just a few people away from each other, they didn't get a chance to talk.

Even though they were finished with the music, they still had some things to sign for the recording, so for the next little while, as they lined up and slowly worked their way through the details, Josh found a moment to come stand next to Noah, "hey Puck," he said.

Turning to the older man, Noah smiled, "hey Josh," he said casually.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but I've been asked to be a judge at your show choir competition in Detroit," he explained.

"I found out last night, actually. Olivia Newton-John came to speak with me after the awards," he replied, "it was definitely news to me."

Josh nodded, "is that okay?" He asked nervously, taking a deep breath, "I wanted to talk to you about it. I know we don't really run in the same circles, musically, but I do respect you as an artist."

Noah smiled, "thanks and I respect you as one, too," he assured him, having the whole day to think about the situation, "to be honest, I don't know how to take it. It's a surprise and one I'm concerned about, for many reasons. One of them is that you and I have worked together today, even though maybe not directly, and I don't know if it's going to be considered a conflict of interest for us. I definitely don't want the team I'm on to be disqualified because of it."

"I don't think you can be," Josh told him, "they told me you'd be a member of one of the teams and I told them about today, because I knew you'd be here, and I was concerned about the same thing. They understood and told me they couldn't control our contact outside of the competition and said it wouldn't be an issue. They explained their reason for wanting celebrity judges was so we'd judge everyone fairly, unlike a bunch of starstruck fans who may give your team extra points just because you're a member," he explained.

Listening to what Josh said, Noah nodded, "I never thought of it that way. I suppose a fellow artist would be able to judge our performance fairer than someone who was only watching me as their favorite singer," he agreed.

"Yeah," Josh nodded, "so no hard feelings?" He asked, holding out his hand.

"Nope, not at all," Noah assured him, shaking his hands, "so I guess I'll see you soon?"

"You will," Josh replied, "good luck."

"Thanks," Noah smiled at him and the two remained standing together as they waited in line, while Noah thought, "_that conversation made me feel a little better, but I'm still worried._"

...

Slowly the line moved and Noah was finally done with what he needed to take care of and headed back to the lounge to gather his things. When he arrived, Celine and Barbra were standing by the table, talking to his parents, Tim and Alex. Miley, Kevin, Nick and Joe were also there waiting for him and the four young artists said 'goodbye' to him first, making him promise to keep in touch. Noah assured them he would and waved at them as they left, then he moved to get his stuff. Celine was the next to leave, hugging his parents and Noah, and Noah thanked her again for the autograph and she assured him she was happy to do it and wished Rachel a speedy recovery.

As Celine left, Noah expected Barbra to leave in a similar manner, but she rested her hands on Noah's shoulders, "I want to meet your girlfriend and see her perform," she said simply.

Noah's eyes widened and he glanced at his parents and they both nodded, so he looked back at her, "are you serious?"

"I am," she nodded, "from what you said and what your parents just told me, she sounds amazing. I would love to meet her somehow. I'm aware of your school schedule, and my schedule is kind of busy right now, too, but I really want to figure out a time. I'd also like to keep it a surprise until we can arrange our meet," she told him with a smile.

"Wow! Um, alright," Noah nodded, "I don't know what to say," he said honestly.

Barbra smiled, "it's okay. I'm really looking forward to this. I've exchanged contact information with your parents and when we get a chance, we'll look at our schedules to figure out a time and place. I hear you have Spring Break coming up, so that may be a great time to for it," she told him.

"Okay, yeah that could definitely work," he took a deep breath and smiled, "it sounds awesome. I can't wait!" He grinned, "thank you!"

"You're welcome," she replied, giving him a hug, "now, I won't keep you any longer because I hear you've got an early flight home to catch. I really hope Rachel continues healing."

Noah smiled and nodded at her, his insides jumping with excitement, especially when she said her name, "me too," he replied, "thanks and I'll see you soon," he replied.

"You will," she nodded.

Saying 'goodbye' and hugging the others, the older woman left, and Noah slid into the nearest chair, "oh my God," he mumbled, "did that just happen?"

"It did," Deborah nodded, unable to hide her excitement, "it's going to be tough to keep it a secret, but it will be amazing."

Noah nodded, "oh this is definitely going to hard to keep from her. I hope I can do it," he admitted, taking a deep breath to calm down.

"You can do it, Noah," Ethan assured him, patting him on the back, "what do you say we head back to the hotel and get ready to go home?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Noah smiled.

...

Excited over the conversation, Noah took a moment to relax and then the five of them made sure they had their things and headed out to the SUV. Leaving the studio, they returned to the hotel and finished packing for their trip home. Noah had most of his things ready, but he reorganized his carry-on and soon everyone was ready to go, Tim and Alex meeting in their room when they were ready.

Deciding they should stop and get some food on their way to the airport, they packed up their rental SUV and checked out of their hotel around eleven, giving them time to head to the closest McDonald's and pick up food to eat on their drive.

After getting their food through the drive-thru, Noah pulled his phone out and realized it was eleven-thirty in LA, which meant it was two-thirty in the morning in Ohio. He felt bad that he hadn't messaged his girlfriend since dinner time, so he wrote a quick one, apologizing for not talking to her before she went to bed and hoping to talk to her the next day sometime.

Arriving at the airport around twelve-thirty, they returned their rental and headed to their airline's desk. Surprisingly Noah wasn't recognized by the few paparazzi mingling around and after picking up their boarding passes and checking their luggage, they made their way to the security check-point. Like Noah figured, it was quiet, so they all got through security pretty quickly and soon were on their way to their gate.

About one-fifteen in the morning, the first class passengers were able to board the plane, so they found their seats, stored their bags until the flight and while they waited, Noah pulled his phone out, "_I'll be home soon, baby,_" he thought, smiling when he looked at his phone's wallpaper, "_I've gotta remember to text David when we get back to Ohio, so he can help me surprise Rachel._"

...

Waking up Tuesday morning, Rachel did what she'd been doing the last few days; helping Arin get ready for the day and driving her to school. When she got back to the house, Alan had already gone to work and David was still in the kitchen drinking coffee. "Hey, daddy," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Hello, sweetheart. How are you feeling today? I didn't ask you that earlier," he admitted.

She shrugged, filling a cup of coffee for herself, "I slept okay, no bad dreams, so that's good. Still a little restless and I really miss Noah. Yesterday sucked not hearing from him much. I understand, but it still sucks," she explained, taking a deep breath.

"That's understandable. I'm sure he feels bad about it, too. You'll talk to him more today."

"I hope so. He still hasn't told me when he's coming home. He wasn't sure, all I know is that Ethan was looking at flights. Have you heard anything from them?" She asked hopeful.

"No, I haven't," he replied, "I'm sure you'll hear from him soon. Maybe they got a flight and are on their way home right now."

"Maybe, but he sent me a message early this morning, after I went to sleep. He said he was sorry he didn't get to talk to me before I went to bed. I guess they finished at the studio really late, which I expected. He didn't say anything about a flight, though," she commented.

"Oh, well, try not to think about it. I'm sure we'll know something soon," he told her honestly.

Rachel nodded, "yeah, I'll try. Still have a lot of homework to catch up on, so I'm going to go do that."

...

Settling down in the living room, Rachel replied to her boyfriend's message and then got to work on her assignments. She still had a lot to do, so she focused as much as she could on them, wanting to return to school with most, if not all, of them finished. As morning turned to noon, Rachel took a break for lunch and was surprised she hadn't heard anything from her boyfriend, but also realized that it was only nine-am in LA, and he'd had a long day in the studio, so he was probably sleeping in and she would hear from him in a few hours.

Getting back to work, about one-thirty she finally got a message from Noah, "_hey baby! Sorry I didn't reply earlier. I'm just getting your message. What are you up to?_"

Smiling at his words, she replied with, "_it's okay. I'm sure you were sleeping in from your long day yesterday. I'm still working on homework._"

"_Oh alright. Yeah, it was a long day yesterday. Fun, but long,_" he responded a few moments later.

"_I'm glad you had fun. Did you meet anyone new?_" She asked.

"_Lionel Richie, Wyclef Jean, Will., Fergie, Benji & Joel Madden, Nicole Richie, plus others. Not counting LL Cool J and some you already know I've met,_" his reply said when she got it about ten minutes later.

Reading his message she smiled, "_I'm so glad you got to meet new artists. I recognize a few of those names, but you'll have to tell me who the other ones are when you get home,_" she wrote back, setting her phone down to try to get some more work done before she went to get Arin.

...

Not hearing anything from her boyfriend for a while, Rachel continued her work and around two-thirty she got ready and went to pick up Arin from school. When they got back to the house about three-fifteen, Rachel went back to her homework and Arin did hers, getting help from Rachel when she needed it.

David was working on dinner and around four, he asked Rachel to watch things in the kitchen because he had to run to the store to pick up a few items for dinner and not thinking much about it, Rachel promised she would.

Noah had messaged David that they were almost home and he wanted to surprise Rachel, so David suggested meeting at the store, because he needed some things for dinner and afterward, they could all go back to the house, and by then Alan should be back, too, so Rachel wouldn't think anything much of David's trip to the store.

Liking the idea, Noah, Deborah and Ethan agreed and when they sent him a message to let him know they were at the store, David left the house. Pulling into the store's parking lot, he parked next to the familiar SUV and the four got out of their vehicles and greeted each other before going into the store and picking up what David needed. On top of the french bread and a few things that went with a spaghetti dinner, Deborah picked up a cake, ice cream and some bottles of sparkling apple cider they could use to celebrate their return and have a mini party for the awards Noah won.

When their items were paid for, they headed back to the Berry's and Alan met them outside, having been told about the surprise and wanted to see Rachel's reaction first hand. Taking the purchases, David and Alan headed into the kitchen where both girls now were, giving the other three a chance to step inside.

Seeing the cake in Alan's hands, Rachel raised a curious eyebrow, "what's the cake for?" She wondered, moving from the stove to look at it.

Noah had moved around to the other entrance of the kitchen and leaned against the door frame, seeing her heading to the other side of the kitchen, with her back to him, "we thought we could celebrate," he said casually.

"Yeah, but celebrate what?" She replied, then froze, when she realized who's voice that was. Spinning around, her eyes widened when they landed on him, "Noah?" She gasped.

"Honey, I'm home," he grinned.

Rachel smiled brightly and tears filled her eyes as she rushed into his arms, slipping hers around his waist, "I've missed you so much," she murmured, standing up a little to press a kiss to his lips, feeling her tears fall.

Holding her close to him, Noah returned the kiss and the stress of being apart slowly melted away the longer they were touching. Gently breaking their lips apart, but keeping her close, he lifted a hand up to gently wiped her eyes, "I've missed you, too, baby, but I'm home now."

"I'm so glad you are. I love you," she continued to smile as she rested her head on his chest.

Smiling and rubbing her back gently as they hugged, Noah nodded, "I love you, too."

...

**Up next:** Noah and Rachel have some time together.

...

**Please read:  
**Normally I'd end a chapter listing my references, credits and notes. Those are below, but I felt this was important enough to mention first.

On Thanksgiving day, (11/24/2011), I received an email from a loyal reader, mentioning they had just read the second chapter of a 'new' story, that had been published only a few weeks prior and it was exactly like 'Starlight'. They gave me the author name and the title and I looked it up.

Before reading the fic, I was going to give the 'author' the benefit of the doubt and check it out, but when I read the first chapter there were OVER a dozen similarities to 'Starlight' in just the first paragraph, so I couldn't be nice... The next and last posted chapter had almost thirty similarities to 'Starlight'; the only difference was that Puck was an actor, not a musician, like in mine.

By similarities, I mean: Puck's dad traveling with him, leaving his mom and sister home in Lima, how he'd been discovered visiting family, how he hadn't been home a lot and wanted to finish school with his best friend, how he told his manager he wouldn't do any more jobs until he finished school, but would do some events, the way he had been using a tutor from Lima School District to keep up with his homework, how Finn asked Noah to join Glee, how Noah saw Rachel walking down the hallway and watching her get slushied, how he found her in the auditorium, singing a song; which happened to be from a movie he'd been in, but she didn't recognize him, because she'd never seen the movie, so he suggested she Google him, he's in her next class... Yeah, I could go on, but that's the basic idea.

When I finished reading it, I was disgusted, appalled, pissed, emotional... You name it - I probably was it. I couldn't believe that someone could blatantly STEAL someone else's hard work AND post it with the same characters and pairing and not expect it to be found! I work my ass off to create awesome and original fics and I still get reviews from readers telling me they love my work and 'Starlight' because it is really an original. To be honest, this person (I can't even call them an author!) basically took what I had written and rewrote it in less words and with poor grammar and spelling and posted it under a new title.

After I had a few minutes to cool down, I checked some things out and found that the story had been published on November 10, 2011, so it had only be out a few weeks. If you've been with me since the first chapter of 'Starlight' was posted, you'll know I published it in March of 2010... About 20 months earlier than this new posting. I also found that the person had listed 'Starlight' as a favorite story, so I knew there was no way it could be a coincidence that those two chapters of their fic were exact copies of mine. I reported both chapters to FF and wrote to the author. I told them I was disgusted with them stealing my hard work and I also let them know they had been reported for plagiarism and I wanted it taken down.

Also, I looked at the 11 reviews they had and I opened PMs to all the logged in reviewers. I'd been posting on Tumblr (EJ8302) about it all day, between writing to some friends about it, and a few of my followers and friends reviewed the story and mentioned it was copying 'Starlight' and within a few hours the story had been taken down. Thank God!

I wrote a nice message to the reviewers, explaining that my work had been stolen by this person and invited them to check out 'Starlight'. I have already gotten replies from many of them who were very apologetic and sad that my work had been stolen and admitted they love my work and would definitely stick with me. I always appreciate my followers/readers who say that and now it means even more!

I was actually thinking of sending a 'thank you' message to this person, for taking down the story, but when I tried, I found out that I've been blocked and banned from sending them PMs. I wonder why? I bet it's because they knew what they were doing and figured they wouldn't get caught! They don't _really_ deserve a 'thank you'. I mean, they did steal my story and list 'Starlight' as a favorite, so it's not like they could come up with some lie about never reading it before and say it was their idea.

I chose to leave the name of this person and the fic out. Those of you who read it, know what one I'm talking about; those of you who saw my posts on Tumblr know who it is and if you'd like to know, I'd gladly tell you in a private message. I guess in a way, I'm being the better person. I'm still pissed that this happened and could easily drag this person through the mud, but I'm not going to. It takes too much energy from writing my fics to do that.

Sorry for such a long note, but I wanted to share this all with you. I love all of my readers, reviewers, followers; many of you have turned into amazing friends and you guys have been there for me for so many things, that I don't know what I'd do without you all! I want to say 'thank you' for sticking with me, supporting me and my writing, even though I know it's sometimes a while between updates. I also want to say that this 'issue' has not stopped me from writing. Nothing will deter me from writing my WIPs and posting new ones (I have 2 in the works that you guys are going to love!).

To the person who first let me know about this issue - thank you so much!  
To the reviewers I spoke of earlier - welcome and I will write you back soon!  
To everyone - you're awesome, I love you!

- EJ

PS - Given what happened, I chose to update 'Starlight' first to let you all know about this. I will be updating my other three WIPs as soon as they are written. I took a short break from them to work out some ideas in one of my new ones and now I'm back to my WIPs. I will be working extra hard to get several chapters of each one written so there hopefully won't be as long of a gap between each update.

...

**Credits and notes on 'We Are The World':  
**- I don't own and Mark Salling / Puck wasn't involved. I don't know exactly what went on, but I do know, from reading about it on Wikipedia, that it was recorded over a span of 14 hours that day, so I took the liberty of guessing on how things came together. Link: ( en . wikipedia . org / wiki / We_Are_the_World_25_for_Haiti )  
- I purchased the song and video on iTunes the day it was released, and at the end of the video, it lists each artist who was involved, not just the ones who had a solo, so I used that to get a listing of some of the artists who were there (the ones I'm familiar with or are popular), so credit to the iTunes video as well. To see the official video you can check it out on YouTube here: ( youtube . com/ wearetheworld ) Kind of a side note - check out 'Somos El Mundo' on there, too. It's 'We Are The World' in Spanish. David Archuletta, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Jose Feliciano, Jon Secada and many other Latin artists were a part of it.

**Albums mentioned:  
**- Barbra Streisand's 'The Essential Barbra Streisand'  
- Celine Dion's 'My Love - Ultimate Essential Collection'  
- 'Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'

...


	42. Chapter 42

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Staying quiet for a long moment, Rachel soaked in his presence and finally relaxed, relieved that he was home. Even though he'd been gone less than a week, to her, it felt like a lot longer. She'd been doing well while he'd been in LA, but during quiet times, especially when she was doing homework, she'd find her thoughts drifting to him, wondering what he was doing, who he was meeting or what they'd be doing if she had gone with him.

Now that she didn't have to wonder about those things anymore, questions began to swirl around in her mind about the last few days, "Noah, I... I don't get it," she admitted honestly, "how did you get home so early? It's such a long flight and weren't you in the studio until late last night?" She asked curiously.

Noah smirked, "I guess that depends on what you mean by 'late' and what time zone you're talking about," he replied casually.

"You messaged me sometime after two in the morning and made it seem like you'd just left the studio," she commented.

"That was when we were on the way to the airport," he kissed her forehead and with his arms still wrapped around her, guided her back a few feet to where their parents and his sister were standing, "how about we tell you guys over dinner?" He suggested.

Though she was intrigued at how they managed to get home so soon, she nodded, "okay, over dinner sounds good," she agreed, looking at Ethan and Deborah, "welcome home."

"Thank you. We're glad to be home," Deborah nodded, draping an arm around Arin's shoulders, "we definitely missed everyone."

"Being gone is never easy, but coming home is great," Ethan added.

...

Talking lightly for a few moments, they all chipped in to help set the table for dinner and soon they were able to sit down to eat.

"Okay, it's dinner, now explain," Rachel said, looking at her boyfriend, really curious about the events that got him home.

Noah laughed lightly, "alright," he took a deep breath, "well, remember when I talked to you Sunday night after the awards?" He asked and when she nodded, he continued, "well, after that, I talked to mom and dad and dad was already looking at flights for us. We'd been told I shouldn't make plans at all on Monday, because they didn't know how long it would take to record and they wanted it all done in one day. That left today to leave, but there were early morning flights or evening and night flights, so it was either get home now or sometime tomorrow, since it's an eight hour flight and a three hour time difference between there and here."

"And you chose early morning?" She asked, "well, obviously you did, but you told me..."

"I know what I told you," Noah smirked, "I wanted to surprise you, so I just didn't tell you the whole truth. I hate lying to you, but I figured you might let it slide this time," he admitted with a grin.

Rachel blushed, ducking her head, "yes, I suppose I can, but just don't make it a habit. I loved this surprise, but I don't like being kept in the dark."

Noah leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I know, babe, and I'd say it won't happen again, but you never know when I'll have to leave again and can come home to surprise you," he told her truthfully.

"Okay, well, that's fair enough," she replied, the blush still on her cheeks, "so, how did you manage to make an early morning flight when you were in the studio until late?"

"Well, I'd packed up my things before we went to the studio, so when I got back to the hotel last night, I just had to reorganize some things. Mom had come back to pack their stuff up during the day and by the time we were back last night, we finished up in our room, packed our rental up, checked out and went to get a late snack. That's when I messaged you; we were on our way to the airport by then," he explained, "our flight was at two in the morning, so we slept on the flight," he added, figuring she'd ask when they slept.

"Oh, alright. That makes sense now. So then this afternoon when you messaged me and I thought you'd just woken up from sleeping in, you had been in the air?" She wondered.

"No, we were already in Columbus. We hung out with Tim and Alex a little before they had to check-in for their flight to New York, then we stopped to get something to eat and while we were on our way back here, that's when I messaged David," Noah motioned to him, "and he suggested meeting up at the store when he went to get some things for dinner."

"I didn't even realize anything was up," she giggled lightly.

"That's the point, babe," he smiled.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel nodded, "yes, that is true. As much as I'm not a huge fan of surprises, I really loved this one," she told him.

"Good, I'm glad," Noah replied, letting one of his hands rest on her back and rubbed it gently. "Because I have something for you. I'll give it to after we finish eating."

"What is it?" She asked, looking at him, "oh, surprise?"

"Yep," he nodded with a grin.

...

Giving in, Rachel settled on waiting for her surprise, even though her mind was coming up with many ideas of what it could be. Finishing up dinner, everyone helped out with cleaning up the table and then they cut the cake and got the ice cream out for dessert and an impromptu party for Noah's Grammy wins. "Congratulations, Noah. If we would have known you guys were coming home, we could have invited your friends over, too," David commented.

Retaking their seats in the dinning room, everyone with cake and ice cream, Noah shrugged, "thanks and it's alright. I'm perfectly happy celebrating with you all and there's plenty of time for more this weekend. I'm really glad I can celebrate with my girlfriend and our families," he admitted, looking at Rachel.

Rachel leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips, "I'm glad you're home so we can celebrate together, too. Maybe this weekend, we could invite over those who were here on Sunday, and have a party for you," she suggested.

"That'd be cool. You don't have to, but if you want, I won't stop you," he replied.

"We'll figure something out," she smile.

...

Enjoying the cake and ice cream, soon they cleaned up again and settled into the living room to relax for a while, no one needing to rush anywhere. When Noah had come through the living room to get to the kitchen, he dropped his bag right next to Rachel's school bag and now that he was sitting on the couch, he reached for it. Digging out his camera he handed it to his dad and asked him to record 'this'.

Ethan smirked, but turned on the video mode of the camera and nodded when it was recording.

Rachel eyed the father and son and was definitely confused at what was going on, but tried to wait patiently.

"So, I told you I had something for you," Noah started, pulling out the bag with the CDs and slid the first one out, "Nick, Kevin and Joe got us a copy of the 'Camp Rock 2' soundtrack; before it's released officially," he explained, handing it to her.

Rachel smiled brightly, "awesome! I can't wait to listen to the final products!" She admitted, looking over the regular CD case. It was nothing that would be found to purchase, but the inside was stamped with the track listings and a single sheet of paper was slipped into the cover area with the listings as well, seeing the names of the few songs she remembered from the New York recording session, she, Finn, Quinn and Noah got to witness.

Noah nodded, "me too, actually. We can listen to it later if you'd like," he kept the other ones in the bag for a moment, "remember how we talked before the awards about Barbra Streisand being there and I'd try to get an autograph, but I wasn't making any promises?"

Perking up at the mention of one of her idols, Rachel nodded, turning her attention to the other items in the bag, but she could only tell they were CDs, because the bag was colored and he was purposely holding them so she couldn't see, "yes, I remember," she said simply.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to get her autograph at the awards," he said sadly, trying to prolong telling her.

"Okay... I told you I'd understand if you didn't get it," she admitted.

Taking a deep breath, Noah smiled, "I do remember that, and you see, when I was asked, along with all the other artists to do the 'We Are The World' recording, no one really knew who would be there, expect those who had asked everyone. Most of us knew someone who would be, like I knew Miley, Nick, Kevin and Joe would be, but I didn't know of any others, at least until the awards, when I spoke with LL Cool J," Noah started.

"That makes sense," Rachel nodded.

"Well, when I got there yesterday morning, I was given a schedule and it had the list of soloists for the song and when they'd be in and I'm sorry that I couldn't get Barbra's autograph Sunday, but," he slid out the CDs and with the back of Celine's showing, he smirked, "would you accept Celine Dion's and Barbra Streisand's from yesterday?" He asked, sliding the discs apart and turning them around so she could see the signed covers of each one.

"Oh my goodness!" Rachel exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. A bright grin grew on her lips as her eyes began to water, "of course I will! This is absolutely amazing!" She admitted, seeing their real autographs, and even though she was dying to grab each one to inspect it, she held back a moment and leaned towards him, "I love you, Noah Puckerman," she pressed a kiss to his lips and then threw her arms around him in a tight hug, "thank you! You are the best boyfriend ever!"

Noah grinned and with the CDs still in his hands, he returned her hug, smiling at her words, "you're welcome, Rach, and I love you, too. That's never going to change," he assured her, "and you can thank me later, because I know you're dying to look through these. They signed more than just the cover, too," he explained, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he pulled back.

"They did? Really?" She gasped, taking a deep breath to calm down a little and reached out, taking Barbra's album first, seeing her name written in the older woman's writing, "I... I always dreamed of getting her autograph, but I never expected I'd see her write my name, too," she admitted "I figured dad, daddy and I would be in New York and we'd see her. I'd go right over to her and ask for her autograph on whatever I could find for her to sign and she'd just write her name... This is so much better, Noah. I can't thank you enough," she admitted, feeling tears falling from her eyes.

Noah reached up and wiped her eyes with his free hand, then pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged her again, "you're worth it, baby, and so much more," he murmured, holding back from saying anything about the conversation Barbra had with him the night before. "_I've got to keep my mouth shut on that. I definitely don't wanna ruin that surprise,_" he thought, slowly pulling back from Rachel as she turned her attention to both CDs, once she took the other album from him.

Ethan chose that moment to stop recording and handed it back to his son. Noah nodded his thanks and flipped the camera on so he could view the pictures and scrolled back until he reached the ones with the two women, "we had some time, so we got pictures together, too," he added, turning it to show her the first one of just Barbra holding the booklet up, "just scroll right to see the other ones."

Rachel set the albums on her lap and took his camera, staring in amazement at the photo of Barbra, the one of Celine doing the same thing, the two with Noah and the next ones with Deborah and Ethan joining them, "wow, Noah," she blushed, "I'm totally jealous that you guys got to meet them."

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he smiled, "I'm sure you'll meet at least Barbra one day. I mean, you will be a Broadway star, so when she finds out you idolized her growing up, she'll probably want to meet you," he explained casually.

At his words, Rachel smiled, "I suppose you're right," she agreed, her cheeks getting redder, "I guess that does happen sometimes with young celebrities and their idols," she admitted.

"It does," Noah nodded, "I mean, look at me at Neil," he added, trying to take their discussion away from Barbra, so he didn't accidentally let anything slip.

"True," Rachel nodded, and at his words, questions she'd pushed aside to ask him when he returned popped into the front of her mind, "there are so many things I want to ask you, I don't even know where to start," she told him.

"We've got all the time in the world," he replied, sitting back on the couch.

"So you're staying here tonight?" Ethan asked curiously.

Noah laughed lightly, "you have to ask?"

Ethan smirked, "hey, I'm asking because it's getting late and we should get Arin packed up, so she can get home and get some sleep for school tomorrow."

"Do I have to go to school? I wanna spend time with you," Arin replied looking at them.

Thinking for a moment, Noah came up with an idea, "how about Arin and I stay here tonight and then in the morning, if Rachel's up for it, she can bring us home, or we can take Arin to school if she's gotta go and then we'll come over," he suggested, "because I'm not going to school tomorrow."

Deborah and Ethan thought of their options, and Ethan shrugged, wanting to let Deborah made the decision on that, "if Rachel, David and Alan are okay with you two staying here tonight, then I guess that would be alright. I also suppose it'd be okay if you missed a day of school, since you have gone every day since we've been gone," she looked at Arin.

"Yes!" Arin grinned.

"They're more than welcome to stay over. Arin's been a great house guest and another night would be quite alright, but I'm going to go back to work tomorrow, so you two will have to take care of things around here," David admitted, glancing at Noah and Rachel.

"That will be fine. I like Noah's idea. After we get up in the morning, we can pack up Arin's things and all head over to Puckerman's house. It'll be a good change for me to get out of the house for a while and, if it's alright, I could stay over there tomorrow night," she explained. "I don't think I want to go back to school on Thursday, but maybe just Glee. I haven't been to school since this all started and I don't know how I'm going to feel, so if I just go for a short time, I might not be as nervous about returning... Then maybe return fully on Monday?" She looked around at everyone, landing on her dads.

"You're welcome anytime," Deborah commented.

"I think that's alright," David nodded, "and it does make sense. You have spent all of your time here, except when you take Arin to school and when you went to the mall this past weekend, so you should get out of the house for a while. I also think you're right with Glee and school, but just remember you still need to get your homework done."

"I know," Rachel nodded, "I'm getting there. I know I can't ignore my homework and I will get it done. I'm glad my teachers are being understanding about this and I'm not going to ruin their trust by not having my work done when I get back to class," she assured them.

...

With a plan agreed on for the evening and the next morning, Noah got his luggage from his SUV and Ethan and Deborah said 'goodnight' to everyone and headed home. Noah put his bags in Rachel's room and pulled out some clothes to sleep in, that he changed into, while Rachel was helping Arin get ready for bed. Joining them in the Berry's guest room, Noah and Rachel talked to Arin for a little bit before she started getting sleepy. The siblings shared a long hug and she told him she was glad he was home, and he agreed with her, telling her 'goodnight' and promising they'd talk the next day.

Once she was settled into bed, Noah and Rachel went downstairs, finding David and Alan getting ready for the next day, "so you're going back to work tomorrow, daddy?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," David nodded, "I told you I'd stay home until Noah got home and you've done fine at home, so there's no need for me to sit at home and watch you do homework," he admitted, "and you're right. You can call if you need anything."

Rachel moved over to him and give him a hug, "I really appreciate you staying home, even if you didn't do much or need to. Same goes for you, dad," she said, looking at Alan.

Alan smiled, "I know," he moved over and kissed her on her forehead, "we're glad you're recovering well and I think part of us has a hard time admitting our little girl is growing up and doesn't always need us," he explained.

"I'll always need you, just not as often as I did when I was younger," she replied, hugging him.

"Very true and you know we're always here for you," David added.

"I do," she assured them.

"Good to know," Alan nodded, "and with that, I think we're gonna go to bed, too. I'm sure you two want to catch," he added, looking at Noah, "welcome home."

"Thanks," Noah smiled, "it's really good to be home."

...

Saying 'goodnight', the dads made their way upstairs, leaving Rachel and Noah to do whatever they wanted. "So, anything you want to do?" He asked curiously, not sure if she had any ideas.

Rachel moved towards him, wrapping her good arm around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips, deeper than she'd given him in front of their families, "welcome home," she whispered against his lips as she pulled back and smiled at him. "I don't care what we do as long as it's together," she added.

Noah smiled, "wow! If I get kisses like that when I get home, I may have to leave more often," he commented, then shook his head, "nah. I take that back... I don't like being away from you," he said honestly, slipping his arms around her waist and guiding her out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"I don't like being apart, either," she agreed, picking up the soundtrack he'd gotten from the Jonas Brothers, "want to listen to this?" She asked.

"Sure," he nodded, "it's up to you."

Moving over to the stereo, she put the disc in and turned the volume down so they could hear it, but it wasn't loud enough so it would wake up her dads or Arin and took the remote with her to the couch and joined him, picking up the two signed albums, "I still can't believe you did this."

"I told you I'd try," he commented, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "When I saw their names on the soloists list, I was kinda mad I didn't know, because I didn't have any of their albums to sign, so mom offered to go out and get them, since she was familiar with their music. I only know the songs you have had me listen to and the two you put on my phone," he admitted. "I hope your favorite songs are on those," he added.

"They are and many more I like. I do have these albums, actually, but it's totally okay, because I'll never use these; they're too special and deserve to be honored," she smiled, carefully opening up Barbra's album to find she'd signed both of the CDs and each disc had the track names printed on them and there was a star next on of the songs, "look!" She exclaimed, pointing to it, "she put a star next 'Don't Rain On My Parade'! I love that song! How did she know it was my favorite?"

"I may or may not have mentioned that you did an amazing performance of it at Sectionals and that I knew you'd be a star one day," he commented casually, his chin resting on her shoulder to look down at what she was looking at. "I only dealt with the books, so I didn't even see she had signed the discs or done that," he added.

"You told her I sang it?" She gasped and at his nod, she blushed, eying the star for a moment and then turned her head and pressed a kiss to his lips, "thank you, Noah. I love you so much. You are an amazing boyfriend. How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?"

Noah smiled, "I love you, too, and you're welcome. As for being lucky, I think I'm the lucky one, but maybe we were just in the right place at the right time and our stars aligned," he suggested.

"I think they did," she agreed with a nod, then blushed a little more, "we're not even really listening to the soundtrack."

Noah shrugged, "it's okay. We don't have to give it back, so we can listen to it anytime," he replied, "or we could restart it and then kick back and just relax together."

Rachel closed the CD case and nodded, "as much as I'd love to inspect every inch of those CDs, relaxing with you sounds really good," she replied, setting the albums on the table and nudged him a little so he'd lay back.

Shifting to stretch out, so his so his back was pressed against the back of the couch, Rachel laid down next to him and leaned against his chest. Draping one of his arms over her stomach, he pressed a kiss to her cheek, "how's this?"

"Perfect," she smiled, restarting the soundtrack with the remote, "to be honest, don't mind me if I fall asleep," she added, "I've slept okay since you've been gone, but not the greatest."

"Same here," he nodded, pressing a kiss to her cheek, "I guess if we fall asleep it's not a big deal. I'll do my best to make sure you don't fall and I'm sure we'll only nap a bit."

She giggled lightly at his comment about her falling, but realized where she was laying, it could happen, "thanks and I guess napping is just as good. I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," he nodded, slowly letting his body relax.

...

Content and relaxed, Noah and Rachel listened to the album and though they thought they may fall asleep, neither did. There were a few songs Rachel did like, but when a song came on that Noah had written and they'd been present for it's recording, Rachel felt different listening to the final version. She knew it was because it was the first time she had a chance to experience part of the recording process, and because the songs meant something to her, not only because they were written by her boyfriend, but also because a few had been written while thinking of her, "I'm sure I've told you this before, Noah, but you are very talented," Rachel murmured when the last song ended.

"You have, but I don't mind hearing it again," he smiled, "thanks."

Shifting a little so she could lay on her back, she looked at him, biting her lip nervously, "do you think we could ever do a duet for something other than Glee?"

Noah smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips, "I think that could definitely be arranged," he nodded, "it's something I've been thinking of, actually."

"Really?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah," he nodded, "I've got an album to put together and my last one meant something to me because it was about me, in a way. I've been trying to come up with ideas for my next one and I keep coming back to 'love' and realized that I'm different now, because I'm in love and I want my music to show it. I definitely want to do some duets on there with the most important woman in my life, not counting my female relatives," he told her truthfully, "I'm not set on anything, so I hadn't brought it up, but since you mentioned singing together, I thought I would. Would you be interested in that?" He wondered, knowing it was a big decision.

Rachel smiled brightly, "I'm definitely interested, Noah! That would be amazing!" She pressed a kiss to his lips, "that's a lot more than I expected when I asked, but I would never turn down an opportunity to sing with you."

"Neither would I," he replied, kissing her again. Shifting a little, he found the couch wasn't as comfortable as he thought, "I hate to ruin the moment, but you wanna go upstairs and get in bed?"

"Sure," she nodded, "it'll definitely be more comfortable up there," she agreed.

...

Standing up and stretching, Rachel put the soundtrack back into it's case so it didn't get mixed up and left it sitting on the table, planning to take it with them the next day. Picking up her autographed albums, she moved around the downstairs, checking to make sure things were ready for the night and then the two headed upstairs to her room, closing the door quietly so they didn't wake anyone.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom for a few minutes, if that's okay," he told her.

"No problem," she motioned to it, "you don't have to ask," she laughed lightly.

"I know, but I didn't know if you were going in there yet," he replied with a grin, moving into her private bathroom to brush his teeth and take care of some personal things, before he went to bed.

Only in there about ten minutes, he stepped out and found she'd changed for bed, dressed in a pair of shorts and a light t-shirt, "did you have that before I left?" He wondered, definitely liking the view.

"I can change if you think you'll be uncomfortable with me dressed this way, but my usual sets of pajamas are in the dirty clothes," she admitted, blushing.

"Uncomfortable is not the word I'd use," he told her honestly, "you look amazing. I definitely like it," he assured her.

"Okay, good," she nodded, moving around the bed towards the bathroom, "I'll be back."

"I'll be here," he nodded, taking a seat on the side of the bed he usually slept on and smirked when the door to the bathroom closed, "_turned on is the phrase I'd use,_" he thought, shifting to lay back on the pillows, "_seems like she sleeps in less and less, not that I'm complaining. She looks amazing, but I'm taking more cold showers lately. Maybe it's time to talk about 'it'. We have only been together five months, but I'm not letting her go and I'm pretty sure she feels the same way. I'm definitely not going to pressure her and I don't mind the showers, but I do think we should talk about it and not just 'yeah, we'll wait' and that be it. We should seriously talk about it. We do have our whole lives, so if she'd rather wait longer, then I'm all for it, but it's not uncommon for high school students to go all the way, but most of the time it's just sex and what Rachel and I would be doing is definitely making love,_" he shifted to his side and tugged the blankets up, waiting for her to get back and began studying the bracelet he wore, that matched hers.

While Noah was deep in thought, Rachel had returned and when she moved around the bed to her side, she saw him looking at their bracelet, "Noah? You okay?" She asked.

"Huh, oh," he nodded, shaking from his thoughts, "sorry, I didn't hear you come back. Yeah, I'm okay, just thinking."

Sliding under the blankets, he tugged them up and rolled to her side to look at him, "what about?"

"_Well, I guess this is as good of a time as any to discuss it,_" he told himself, "I was just thinking about us, and this," he motioned to the bed.

"Sleeping together?" She wondered, "or _sleeping_ together?"

Noah reached out and slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her gently, "making love. We've talked about it in the sense that 'we'll wait a while', but we've never said when... and I'm not bringing this up to pressure you into it, I'm just curious what you think about it."

Taking a deep breath, she smiled at him, "I have thought about it. I kind of asked myself the same question and what I'm sure of is that it's going to be with you. As for when? I don't know. A year ago, I would have told you probably sometime in my twenties, because I never figured I'd find someone in high school that I feel this strongly about, but then you came into my life and my thoughts changed. Now I don't want to wait that long and I'd be open for it soon," she paused, blushing a little, "but not until this is gone," she motioned to her cast, "I don't like it and don't want it to ruin that moment."

"That's understandable," he nodded and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I'm ready when you are. I say we think on this some more and have this discussion again, when you get your cast off, and if we both feel we're ready, then we should find some time alone to enjoy each other's company," he suggested honestly.

Rachel smiled, snuggling closer to him, "I think that sounds like a perfect idea."

"Great," he kissed her gently and reached behind him, tapping her lamp until it went out, plunging the room into darkness, aside from a small light near her bathroom. Readjusting the blankets and slipping his arm back around her, he kissed her lips gently, "night babe. Hope you sleep well, love you," he murmured, feeling sleep not far off.

"I'll sleep great, now that you're home," she replied, "love you, too, Noah. Goodnight."

...

Rachel had been keeping early mornings to help Arin get ready for school and since Noah had a long day in the studio, a long flight and not a lot of restful sleep on it, even thought it was just after ten, they easily drifted off to sleep in a short time.

The last few nights, Rachel had been able to sleep through the night, but was tossing and turning a lot. She hoped now that her boyfriend was home, she'd be able to get a good night's rest and maybe stay in the same spot and when she woke up to her alarm at seven, she found both of them were in the same place they'd been in the night before. "_Finally!_" She thought, happy to have been able to relax enough to get some decent sleep.

Seeing that her boyfriend wasn't budging, she figured he was still asleep, so she shifted to reach over him, hitting the snooze button so it'd stop beeping for the moment. When she settled back against the pillows, she laid on her back and relaxed, not ready to get out of bed just yet.

"What time is it?" Noah murmured, not even opening his eyes.

"Seven," she replied, turning to press a kiss to his cheek.

"Wow. Almost nine hours of sleep and I could sleep for another twelve just like this and still not have my batteries recharged," he said softly, opening an eye to look at her.

With her good arm, she reached up and ran her hand over his scalp, for the first time checking out his hair cut, "well, I figured I'd stay at your place tonight, we can sleep another night together. You have had a long trip, so it may take a few days to feel rested," she admitted. "I feel great compared to the last few days, so you were just what I needed."

Noah smiled, "I'm glad. You definitely helped me sleep, too, I just need more of it," he told her, "you can keep doing that. It feels good," he added.

Softly running her fingertips over his scalp, she gently massaged as she did and watched his eyes drift closed in contentment, "are you going back to sleep?"

"If you keep doing that, maybe I will," he replied.

Though she didn't want to just stop, she knew if she continued he would fall asleep and she didn't think that was a good idea, so she reluctantly took her hand away and shifted closer to him, "Noah, stay awake. I'm going to get up here shortly and I'd hate to have to wake you up," she told him, "we need to get your things together, your sister packed up and I need to get some things put together so I can stay over there tonight," she explained.

Frowning at the loss of her hand, Noah opened his eyes again and sighed, "alright, I guess I'll stay up," he told her, shifting to sit up a little, "I tried."

She giggled lightly, "you did. Some other day we can sleep in late together," she promised.

"Okay, fair enough," he replied.

...

Reluctantly crawling out of the warm bed, Rachel put on some yoga pants and a light sweater and the two went downstairs to find Arin was already up and eating breakfast and her dads were getting ready to leave for work.

Getting something to eat themselves, they talked to Alan and David until the two men left. Finishing up their breakfast, they all went back upstairs and while Noah showered, Arin and Rachel went into the room Arin had been using to get started on packing after Arin changed into clothes for the day.

By the time Noah finished in the shower, Arin's things were together, so she took them downstairs, leaving them by the door and started watching morning cartoons while she waited for Rachel and Noah to finish up.

Rachel had given Noah her car keys, so as soon as his bags were packed up, he took his and his sister's things out to her car and put them in the trunk, then returned to the house, now waiting on Rachel.

After showering and getting dressed, Rachel packed some clothes into a small bag along with some things she'd need for the morning. Making sure she didn't need anything else in her room, she went downstairs to find her boyfriend and his sister watching cartoons and she quickly started sorting through her books and homework, "do you mind if I bring some homework over?"

"No, not at all," Noah told her, "I figured you would. Are you done with any of it?"

"Yes," she nodded, "I'm just have history and Spanish to finish. I actually could use your help with Spanish," she told him, grabbing everything for that class.

"Okay, sounds good. You know I don't mind helping," he replied.

"Thanks," she smiled, sliding her book and work into her small bag of clothes.

...

With one more check around the house, Noah grabbed Rachel's bags and the three of them headed outside and once the front door was locked, they walked over to Rachel's car. Getting into it, once her bags were put away, she started the engine and it wasn't long before they were on their way to the Puckerman's.

Now that Rachel was familiar with the way, the drive didn't seem as long. Between talking and Noah messaging Finn to let him know he was home and would be back to school the next day, and letting his parents know they were on their way over, time passed quickly and about nine-forty-five, they were pulling through the gates at his place and she was parking where she usually did.

Heading into the house, they dropped all of their bags at the bottom of the stairs and then moved into the kitchen to find Deborah and Ethan. After greeting them, the adults mentioned they were writing a grocery list and would be heading to the store soon, so Arin told them she wanted to go and after checking out a few things, Ethan, Deborah and Arin left the house, giving Noah and Rachel some time alone.

Even though they had the house to themselves, Noah knew he had to unpack, so the couple headed upstairs to his room and moved inside, seeing it the same as they'd left it the week before, except on his bed were two of his awards, "wow," Rachel gasped, "where did those come from? Well, I know where you got them, but how did they get here?" She wondered.

"Mom and dad each put one in their luggage to get home. They must have unpacked last night or this morning," he explained, lifting his suitcase up and laying it on the bed, "I have the other two in mine," he added.

Rachel set her bags by his desk and then took a seat on the opposite side of his bed from where he was and picked up one of them, studying the details and his engraved name along the base, "my boyfriend, a Grammy winner," she smiled, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you," Noah leaned over the bed to press a kiss to her lips, "maybe later you can help me find spots to put them," he suggested.

"You're welcome," she nodded, "and sounds fun," she added.

"Cool," he replied, reluctantly pulling away to focus on unpacking so he didn't have to do it later.

Stretching out on her side, with the awards next to her, Rachel just watched him, happy to just be able to see him in person and not through pictures or a TV screen.

At first, Noah dug out his other two awards and unwrapped them from the t-shirts he'd used to protect them during the trip and set them next to the others, then took a small case into his bathroom to take those things out before returning. "This should be the easy part," he admitted, moving to pull his laundry basket closer to him and began tossing things into it one at a time.

"That's all dirty?" Rachel asked surprised at what he was doing.

"Pretty much," he nodded, setting aside a few still folded up t-shirts, "I packed enough clothes to get me through the trip, with a few extra things, just in case," he explained, "so I've worn it all except a couple shirts," he added.

"Oh," she thought for a moment, "you've definitely got this down to a science, don't you?"

He smirked, looking at his now almost empty suitcase and nodded, "yeah, I do," he admitted, taking a seat on the bed to look at her, "traveling back and forth mostly between here, New York, and sometimes LA, I've learned how I need to pack for each place."

"Each place? Is there a big difference?" She wondered curiously.

"Oh yeah," he nodded, trying to think about how to explain it. "Here and NYC are pretty much interchangeable, because we have homes in both places, so I can leave things here or there and I know they'll be there the next time," he started, shifting to lay on his side to face her. "But traveling to LA is a lot different. Weather wise, Ohio and New York are closer together, so there is a similar weather pattern and sweatshirts work either place. LA doesn't drop as cold as it does here, so when we're going to LA, we pack lighter clothes. We also don't have a 'home' there, so most of the time we have to live out of our suitcases from a hotel suite. With no washer and dryer or big kitchen to really cook in, we need to pack accordingly and expect to live off of room service, fast food or restaurants," he paused. "We usually are only in LA for a week or less, at a time, since I'm based out of NYC, but there are reasons to go to California and if I do end up needing to be there more than a few weeks, the label will get us a private place to stay, like our condo in NYC, to give us a little more comfort, than what we'd get in a hotel suite, but that doesn't happen often. Dad and everyone does pretty good at scheduling things so during a short trip, I can get a whole batch of things done, so I don't have to fly in for a day, then fly out the next, because it is such a long trip. So after the first few trips to LA, dad and I learned to pack enough clothes to get us through the trip and then we'd do laundry when we get back," he finished, "did I bore you?" He asked with a smirk, realizing he'd said a lot.

She giggled lightly at his question and shook her head, "no, you didn't. I was curious and you explained what I wanted to know," she assured him.

"Okay, good," he smiled, shifting closer to her, but when his legs hit the suitcase he sighed, "hold on," he murmured, getting up and moving his mostly empty suitcase to the floor and the set his awards on it, so they didn't get in the way and returned to his bed, laying on his side and sliding closer to her, "there we go, much better."

"It is," she agreed, pressing a kiss to his lips, "but shouldn't we be doing something else besides curling up in bed?"

"Maybe and we will, but my parents and sister are gone and at least for the next little while we're alone and can't be interrupted, so we can just relax and enjoy this," he suggested, "unless you don't want to do this right now," he added.

"I do," she nodded, "I just don't want your parents to get mad for us doing this in the middle of the day; we did wake up just a few hours ago," she reminded him.

"So? They won't care. They know I wanted a relaxing day with you. This is definitely relaxing," he told her.

Letting what he said soak in, she smiled and nodded, "alright, but just for a little while, you said you were going to help me on my Spanish," she reminded him.

Pressing a kiss to her lips, he nodded, "bien, mi amor," he smiled, letting one of his hands rest on her back. ('okay, my love' - Spanish)

"Now that, I understood. You're my love, too," she replied, shifting closer to kiss him again.

Noah returned the kiss, deepening it gently and let his hand move to rest against her cheek, brushing his thumb over her soft skin as he pulled away, "I'm glad," he replied honestly.

...

Cuddling together for a little over an hour, talking lightly about his trip, Rachel's arm began to get uncomfortable, so they reluctantly got up to get onto something else, both a little worried they'd fall asleep if they stayed on his bed much longer.

Noah finished cleaning out his luggage and then picking up his awards and collecting her things to do her Spanish homework, they headed down to the basement, so they could organize his shelves of awards and find homes for the new ones. "Just think, someday we could be accepting an award for a duet we did or you could be adding a Tony to this collection," he motioned to all his awards he'd won over the years as he placed the last award in it's new spot.

Rachel smiled brightly, "yeah, we could definitely win one together and I've dreamed of winning a Tony since I was a child... I'd love to win one, or any award for that matter, and knowing I have a special man to share it with, makes the thoughts even more amazing."

Turning to wrap his arms around her, he pressed a kiss to her lips, "it definitely feels awesome to know I've got a girlfriend to celebrate with," he told her truthfully.

"Really? Even if I wasn't there with you?" She wondered.

Noah nodded, "you were there in my heart, watching on TV and only a call or text away, so even if you physically weren't, you still were," he assured her.

"I'm glad," she replied, kissing him gently.

"Me too," he nodded, guiding her towards the stairs, "come on. I know you want to get on your homework."

Nodding, she headed up the stairs and moved into the dinning room where she'd set her work before they went downstairs, "the sooner I can get working on this the sooner I can get finished."

"Very true," he agreed and took a seat next to her, setting his phone on the table, "I help you as much as I can, but I still want you to do the work."

"I know. I would never expect you to do the work for me," she assured him.

...

Jumping right into where she'd last been working, Noah looked over her papers and helped her correct some mistakes she had, before she continued on. Rachel did most of the work and Noah helped her when she needed it, but he spent most of the time fiddling around on is phone, playing games or catching up on some of the messages he'd not gotten to over the trip.

Taking a break when Noah's family got home, the young couple chipped in to help put things away and then they all sat down for lunch. Deborah made sure they'd invited her dads over for dinner that night and when Noah assured them they had and the guys would be over, Rachel and Noah returned to her homework.

Continuing on, Rachel finally finished most of the writing portion of her homework around two, but she still had a lot of vocabulary and other things to learn, so she was far from done, but with Noah's help, she was a lot closer.

Changing locations, they got comfortable on the couch and Noah began quizzing her on things she needed to learn, giving her tips on how to remember certain words and she had looked over them enough to be familiar with some of them, but still missed a lot of them.

Rachel was thankful for her boyfriend's help, because she'd gotten more done than she thought she would. Since they'd spent most of their afternoon working on homework, Rachel decided to stop around three-thirty and put it away for the day, so they could spend some time together without having to work, too.

Kicking back on the couch, they relaxed and let Arin use the TV, since they weren't and soon the three of them were watching Disney channel shows, including reruns of Hannah Montana. Normally Noah would give his sister a hard time for watching it, but at the moment, he was happy to be home, with his girlfriend, sister and parents and let the teasing slide for the night, content to just enjoy the family time.

Around five, David and Alan arrived, and Rachel and Noah went to greet them. Dinner was close to being ready, so they all helped set the table and then sat down in the dinning room to talk. They all talked a little about their day and the guys were glad to hear that Rachel had made some more progress on her homework, with Noah's help, and it wasn't long before their conversations continued over dinner. Rachel and Noah were both really thankful that their families got along and they could spend time together, instead of having to constantly choose which house to hang out at, but in the back of their minds, they knew that it wouldn't always be easy; especially when Noah and Rachel moved to New York, but they kept that in the back of their mind, because at the moment, they were in Lima and that wasn't going to change in the near future.

...

After dinner, the two families relaxed in the living room for a while. Rachel reminded her dads of her plans to stay the night at the Puckerman's and also about going to Glee the next afternoon and they were okay with. Everyone was glad she was making the attempt to go back; no one wanted to force her back to something that would make her uncomfortable.

Around eight, David and Alan decided to leave; they had a bit of a drive to get back and knew that everyone had to get up early in the morning, so they said 'goodnight' and headed home. Once they left, Deborah went upstairs with Arin to help her get ready for bed and Ethan headed for his office to get some things done.

"What would you like to do?" Noah asked, once they were alone again on the couch.

"I don't know. What time do you want to go to sleep?" Rachel wondered.

"Maybe ten? I gotta get up around six," he admitted.

Rachel nodded and thought for a moment, "we could watch a movie."

"Sure, sounds good. Your choice," he told her, motioning to the rack of movies near the TV.

Smiling at him, Rachel got up and went to look at the movies, scanning over the titles until one caught her eye, and when Noah told her it was a good one from a few years back, she put it in and joined him on the couch.

Curling up together, Noah grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over them to keep warm. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, Noah kissed her forehead and both turned their attention to the movie.

Though expecting to watch the full movie, when his mom and sister came downstairs, Deborah told them they were all going to bed, so Noah and Rachel paused the movie to say 'goodnight' to everyone and once they'd all gone back to their rooms, Noah and Rachel were left alone again, this time with a little more privacy than they had.

Playing the movie again, it didn't take long before their lips joined together and the TV was forgotten, the two focusing on their enjoyment of kissing each other instead.

"Maybe we should go to your room," Rachel whispered, a little while later when their lips broke apart long enough to catch their breath.

Noah smiled, "yeah, that's probably a good idea," he murmured, kissing her again before tugging the blanket off them and standing up, using the remote to turn the TV and DVD player off and then held his hand out to her.

Taking his hand, Rachel stood up and the two turned the lights off and he checked the doors before they headed upstairs and went into his room and closed the door, "how's this?" Noah asked, "more private?"

"It is," she agreed, taking a few steps over to her bag, "maybe we should change for bed," she suggested, "then get comfortable."

Noah nodded, "I like how you think, baby," he said honestly.

Giggling lightly at his response, Rachel smiled and with their backs to each other, both of them changed into their pajamas and then slid under his blankets, joining each other in the middle of the bed, "now, we can pick up where we left off and we're already in bed."

"We are," he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and slid his arms around her body, holding her close, "we should get to sleep soon, but I definitely know how to pass the time," he added, his lips kissing her cheek and down her neck.

"I agree," she nodded, unable to hold in a light groan when she felt his lips on her skin, "I swear it's like firecrackers going off inside of me every time you do that," she murmured.

Noah smiled and looked at her, "imagine what it'll be like when we make love for the first time," he whispered, "I bet it's gonna feel like we've got an entire Fourth of July show going off. I'm really looking forward to it."

Rachel kissed him, her good arm wrapping around him, "me too," she nodded, "every moment we share is special and I know that time will be, also. You're always such a gentleman to me and I trust you'll be that way then, too."

"I definitely will be," he assured her, "it's my first time, too, remember?"

"Yes, I remember and I feel so lucky we get to share our first time," she told him truthfully.

Looking into her eyes, Noah smiled, "I'm just as lucky. I want us to be able to say we were each other's first and the only one we've ever been with," he said honestly.

Feeling tears in her eyes at his words, Rachel smiled brightly, kissing his lips and holding him close, "I want to say the same thing. Not many can and to hear you say that makes me feel amazing, Noah."

"I'm glad, because it's the truth. I'm not letting you go, Rachel," he assured her, reaching to pull the blankets back up, "I love you."

Unable to hold back the happy tears that fell, she smiled, "I love you, too, Noah."

...

A/N4: I love these two! They are so fun to write! I hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think.

A/N5: I've decided to try my hand at Lark (Lea/Mark) fics. I know there are a lot of rules about real-person fic on FanFiction dot net, so when I do start writing them, I'll only be posting them on my LiveJournal. I'll share the links on my Tumblr page and mention them in my notes at the bottom of my fic updates on here. You can read and comment on my LJ, even if you don't have an LJ account, because I allow comments anonymously, too.

A/N6: I know it's been a while. The holiday season really threw me for a loop and after the new year, I've had a rough few weeks; I've been pretty sad, but I'm slowly getting better. On January 11th, we had to make the extremely tough decision to put our three and a half year old dog to sleep. She had been sick for a couple days, the vets, after three visits and several tests, couldn't figure out the problem and their only option was exploratory surgery. They couldn't guarantee a positive outcome and she was getting worse, so we felt the best thing for her was to let her go. I know we did the right thing, because she's no longer in pain, but it still hurts like hell!

...


	43. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Hearing a faint beeping sound, Rachel thought it was just in her dreams, but as it continued, her body slowly began to wake up. When she opened her eyes and didn't immediately see her familiar bedroom, a brief moment of shock hit her and she sat up with a gasp, quickly looking around the almost dark bedroom to get her bearings.

Feeling Rachel's movements and hearing her gasp, Noah woke quickly and sat up, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder, "babe, you're safe. You're just in my room," he murmured.

As soon as she heard the familiar voice, memories of the night before returned to her mind. Sighing in relief, she turned and shifted closer to her boyfriend, "oh Noah," she slid her good arm around him, "I didn't realize where I was right away," she admitted, "sorry."

"Don't be," Noah wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "it's the first time you've stayed over in a while. It's understandable," he told her honestly.

"Okay," she took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart.

With his arms around her, Noah leaned back, guiding her with him and settled back into the pillows, "just relax," he said softly, "I don't have to get out of bed right this second, so we can stay here for a bit."

Nodding at his suggestion, Rachel smiled and snuggled closer to him, letting herself relax as best she could.

...

Not able to stay in bed too long, Noah was the first one to get up, heading to take a shower. Rachel decided to shower when she got home, so she got dressed and made his bed while he was in the bathroom.

"You know, you really didn't have to do that," Noah commented, when he returned to find his bed made.

"I know, but you were in the shower and I wasn't doing anything at the moment, so I didn't see a need to let it sit. I know you don't always make your bed," she replied with a smile, definitely attracted to the sight before her; her boyfriend dressed in only boxers with his skin glistening from the light hitting the small water droplets scattered over his body.

Noah laughed lightly and continued to dry himself off with his towel, "why? I'm just going to sleep in it again and mess it up," he admitted, moving to over to his closet.

As Noah moved, Rachel took a seat on the edge of his bed and watched him. Ever since they'd talked about taking their physical relationship to the next level, she couldn't help the sexual thoughts that popped into her mind. She'd had them before, but not as vivid as her current ones and seeing him move, his muscles flexing as he bent over to pull his pants up, her thoughts were definitely sexual. With his back to her, she knew he couldn't see her looking at him, but she stood up and moved over to him, resting her hand on his shoulder as he grabbed a t-shirt from a hanger, "Noah," she said softly.

Turning around, Noah raised a curiously eyebrow at her, "yeah, babe?"

Now that he was facing her, she rested her good hand on his chest just above his heart and gently let her fingertips drift down to rest on his well toned abs, "just admiring my amazing boyfriend," she murmured, "and I'm starting to understand the need for cold showers," she added with a blush.

Feeling her hand on his chest, Noah took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, "oh yeah?"

"Yeah, my mind has been quite active since we talked the other night," she stood up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips, "and as much as I'm surprised I'm thinking about that, I'm not scared or nervous; I feel excited and safe," she told him honestly.

Noah reached up and rested a hand on her cheek, letting his thumb brush gently across her skin, "I'm glad," he replied softly, kissing her once more, "you never have to be scared with me and if you ever feel uncomfortable about anything, you know you can tell me, right?"

"I know I can," Rachel nodded, slipping her arm around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

"Good," he smiled, rubbing her back gently.

"Noah, Rachel, are you two... Oh," Ethan froze when he stepped into the open doorway and saw the teens, "uh, okay, you guys are up," he said, "I'll, um, just go," he added, turning on his heel and leaving the room before either could respond.

Rachel blushed, pulling back from her boyfriend a little, "I guess we should get downstairs. Your dad is probably in shock."

Noah smirked, "yeah, probably," he let go of Rachel and put the shirt on he had in his hand, "and I gotta get my books gathered up for school."

...

With time feeling like it was moving quickly, Rachel helped Noah gather all his books for school and with his bag full and still carrying his heaviest book, the couple headed downstairs with their things and joined his parents and sister in the kitchen.

"Morning you two," Deborah greeted, smirking, "how did you guys sleep last night?"

"Not too bad, but I freaked out a little when I woke up, because I didn't realize where I was at first," Rachel admitted.

"Oh that's understandable, it's been a while since you stayed over," Deborah replied.

Rachel nodded, "yeah, that's what Noah said, too. I know it's been a while. I should change that," she commented, glancing at Noah.

"You know you're welcome any night," Noah replied, "and I need to remember to close the door," he added, glancing at his dad, "so dad doesn't have a heat attack one morning."

Ethan couldn't help the blush that grew on his cheeks, "yeah, that'd be helpful," he admitted.

"Well, we weren't doing anything wrong; I was just giving Rachel a hug without a shirt on and talking," Noah said.

"I know, but I also know where that leads," Ethan replied honestly.

Rachel's cheeks turned red at Ethan's comment, but she chose not to say anything, because Arin was at the table.

"Babe, do you want anything for breakfast?" Noah asked, changing the subject to something less personal.

"Uh," Rachel shook from her thoughts, "oh, no thank you. I'll eat when I get home."

"Are you leaving when Noah does?" Ethan asked.

"I am," Rachel nodded, "I still have homework to do and I am going to gather up some of the work I'm done with so I can return it to my locker at school. That way I don't have as many books to take back on Monday," she explained.

"That's a good idea, babe," Noah smiled.

"I don't know what you two were planning for tonight, but I'll be going to Glee this afternoon and if you're still going, too, I can pick you up around two-thirty, Rachel. That way you don't have to drive and have two cars to deal with if you and Noah want to hang out after," Ethan offered.

"Oh! That would be great. Are you sure it wouldn't be a problem to pick me up?" Rachel asked.

"It's not a problem," Ethan assured her, "I just thought it'd help if you two wanted to go out or head to your place after Glee. No sense in having two cars going to the same place."

"Sounds good to me," Noah smiled, "we can hang out at your place tonight or come back here, I don't mind."

"Now that we're home, are you going to be staying together at night?" Deborah wondered, knowing it'd been a rough few weeks and wasn't sure what the two were going to do.

"That's all up to Rachel," Noah motioned to his girlfriend.

Rachel took a deep breath, "I don't know. I'd like us to be together, either here or at my place. It's safe and comforting, which is what I need right now."

Noah reached over and took her good hand, squeezing it gently, "you know I'll stay at your place and you're welcome here, so just say the word."

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she nodded, "how about staying at my place tonight?"

Glancing at his parents and when they both nodded, Noah smiled, "I can do that. I'll pack some clothes after breakfast."

...

After talking for a little longer, the Puckermans and Rachel began to get their things together for the day. Noah went upstairs to fill a small bag with some clothes, so he could stay the night at the Berry's house and Deborah and Arin were getting ready to leave, too.

A little after seven in the morning, Ethan walked everyone into the garage to their cars and opened the garage doors; he was the only one who wasn't going anywhere that morning. Arin and Deborah were the first to hug everyone and say 'goodbye' and once they were gone, Rachel and Ethan confirmed their plans for that afternoon and then he stepped inside to give the teens some privacy.

Noah put his bags into the backseat of his SUV and then walked Rachel outside to her car.

"I hope you have a good day at school," Rachel said, opening her back door and setting her bags on the seat.

When Rachel closed her door, Noah wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "yeah, me too. I hope I haven't missed a lot with being gone for a week. All my make-up work is done, but still. It's a long time to miss," he said, "it's also going to be a long day without you there... But I totally understand why you're waiting a bit longer," he assured her, "and I'm glad you're coming to Glee today. Can I tell everyone?" He asked, unsure if she wanted it to be a surprise or not.

Thinking for a moment, Rachel shrugged as she leaned against him, "I think it's a good idea to tell them. That way everyone will know to be there for practice," she replied, "so yes, it's alright to tell them."

"Good point," he nodded, leaning down and kissing her again, "I should get going or I'm going to be running late," he murmured, "love you and I'll talk to you later?"

Rachel nodded, "you will. Love you, too, Noah," she tightened her good arm around him and as she pulled back, she kissed him once more, "and I'll see you this afternoon."

"Great!" Noah smiled.

Sharing another hug and kiss, Noah reluctantly let go of his girlfriend and opened her driver's door for her. Rachel slid into her car and once her door was shut, he went to get into his SUV and got it started, backing out after a few minutes and following her out of the gates to the house.

"_Thankfully she'll be coming to Glee today. I really need to tell everyone about Josh and Olivia at the same time,_" Noah thought, following her towards town. "_I know she may be upset because I didn't tell her, but I just thought it was better to tell everyone at the same time; to be fair._"

...

Rachel knew her boyfriend was following behind her and part of her wished she was going to school with him, but she just wasn't sure if she was ready. She was glad no one was pushing her to go back and she knew she had to, but returning for Glee that afternoon would help her figure out if she was ready and hoped she did okay.

When she turned off the road, towards her house, her boyfriend waved and continued on to McKinley, and she returned his wave and continued the drive home. Pulling up to the sidewalk in front of her house, she noticed her dads were just coming outside to go to work, so she was glad she could see them before they left.

Greeting her dads and talking to her briefly, Rachel let them know about Ethan picking her up that day for Glee, because she didn't want them to worry if they got home and found her car there, but not her and they appreciated the head's up. Since they had to get to work, Rachel hugged and kissed them and headed up to the front door of the house as they got into their cars and drove off.

Once they were gone, she stepped into the quiet house and took a deep breath, "_first day really alone here. Let's see how I do,_" she thought, closing the door behind her, making sure it was locked. Moving into the living room where all her books were stacked, she took her Spanish book from her bag and added it to the pile and then went upstairs to her room, wanting to take a shower and get ready for the day.

During her shower, Rachel couldn't help thinking about the moment she and Noah shared that morning. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him shirtless, but it was the first time since they'd talked about going further in their physical relationship that she'd seen him in that way. "_Noah does things to me, in a good way... I just... When I'm with him, I feel so alive and like I can do anything and I know we're young and have our whole lives to be together, but I want to 'be' with him. I don't want to wait for years; we don't need to. I'm ready and I'm pretty sure he is, too. I know we've been through a lot the past month, but I want this and I don't want to wait much longer,_" her thoughts paused when she had to reach for something with her right hand, because of the cast on her left, covered in protective plastic bags, "_only after this thing is gone. I don't want to remember my first time with a cast on._"

...

Rachel let her thoughts settle and finished her shower. After drying off and getting dressed, she'd been home about an hour, so she headed downstairs and sat on the couch. Reaching for her phone, she found a few messages from her boyfriend, ones to keep her spirits up and remind her she was beautiful and he was there for her. "_Thanks, Noah. You definitely know the right words to say to help me relax,_" she smiled, typing a reply with a message similar to what she'd just thought and sent it to him.

She also had a few messages from friends, excited that she was going to be in Glee that day, so she replied to them and promised to see them that afternoon, before settling onto the couch and getting into her homework.

For the first hour of being in the living room, Rachel did well. The shower and the words from her boyfriend had helped her relax, but as the morning progressed and she tried to keep focused on homework, she found that little noises coming from around the house and outside startled her. When her dads or Noah had been home with her, it wasn't so bad, because not only did she know they were there to protect her, she also didn't notice the noises, but now a simple light creak from wind hitting the house or the rustle of a bush outside made her jump and around eleven there was a knock on the door. She wasn't expecting anyone and assumed it was a solicitor, so she ignored the second knock, picked up her phone and moved into the kitchen. "_I can't stay here alone,_" she thought, fighting back tears, "_I need to call someone, but who? Daddy is going to be with patients, dad is either going to be in court or with clients, Noah is at school... I could call Ethan. I know he's home and maybe he could come over early. I hate to ask, but he is picking me up later, and I just can't be alone much longer or I'm going to freak out even more..._" She took a shaky breath to calm down, "I'm calling Ethan," she said out loud as another light creak came from the house and startled her.

Pulling up Ethan's number, she hit the send button, hoping he'd answer and after three rings, she heard his voice and she practically sighed in relief, "hey Ethan, it's Rachel," she said as calm as possible.

"Hey, Rachel, everything alright? Did you forget something over here?" Ethan wondered, a little confused why she was calling him.

"Oh, um," she thought briefly about his question, "no I didn't forget anything. I was... um," she blushed, "I really hate to ask, but do you think you could come over early? Like... now?"

"What's wrong, Rachel?" He asked concerned, now realizing something else was going on.

"I... I thought I would be fine on my own, you know? When I got back, I showered and got dressed and I was fine and even when I started my homework, but now every little creak and noise I hear makes me jump and I guess when dad and daddy were here with me it wasn't as noticeable, because I knew they were here, and Noah was with me the other day, but now I'm completely alone and everything is bothering me. I really hate to ask, but I knew you were home and I thought maybe you could come over," she finished.

"Say no more, Rachel. I'll be over in about a half an hour," Ethan assured her. "Have you eaten anything?"

"No," she blushed, "I didn't even think about that. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I don't mind," Ethan replied honestly, "and I'll stop and get us some lunch, okay? I'll be over as soon as I can."

Rachel sighed in relief, "okay, thank you so much, Ethan. I really appreciate it."

...

Hanging up the phone from talking to Ethan, Rachel was relieved. She hated asking for him to come over, but she just wasn't comfortable at home by herself any longer and needed the company.

Returning to the living room, she settled back into homework and did her best to stay calm and she sighed in relief when her cell phone beeped and she saw a message from him that he was there, followed by a knock on the door. Getting up, she moved over to the door, unlocked it and pulled it open, seeing him on the other side, "hey, thanks for coming over," she smiled lightly at him.

"Anytime, Rachel," he nodded, stepping into the house and held up a bag of Chinese take-out. "I brought lunch, too. I got some stuff I know I've seen you eat."

"Thank you," Rachel smiled and closed the door, "I appreciate you doing this. I just," she took a deep breath and followed him into the kitchen, "I guess I'm not as okay as I thought I was."

"It's alright," he assured her, setting their food on the island. "Come here," he said softly, motioning towards himself, but wanting her to be the one to hug him.

Stepping closer, she wrapped her good arm around him and smiled, relaxing for a moment, glad to have him over, "thanks, dad."

Ethan gave her a friendly hug and smiled at her calling him 'dad'. "No problem. You needed some company and I'm here. I'm happy to help out. Have you told your dads yet?" He wondered as they pulled apart.

"No. I figured I'd tell them when I got home tonight after Glee. Is it alright that I called you 'dad'? I mean... You're my boyfriend's dad and I see you as another dad to me," Rachel asked, as she moved over to the cupboard to get some plates out.

"It's totally cool, Rachel," Ethan commented, taking his laptop bag off his shoulder and setting it on one of the empty chairs nearby, "I think we've talked about it before, but if we haven't, I don't mind you calling me 'dad'. You're like a daughter to me," he replied.

Rachel smiled and set a couple plates on the island along with some silverware, "okay, cool. Good to know."

...

Now that Rachel had someone else in the house, she calmed down a lot and thanked Ethan, again, over lunch for coming over when she called. Ethan passed it off and assured her he didn't mind helping out and when the two finished eating, they cleaned up their messes and moved into the living room. Rachel got back to her homework and Ethan pulled his laptop out and went back to what he'd been doing; checking email and making arrangements for things Noah had to do.

The two were quiet, both involved with what they were doing, but as Rachel finished up with the assignment she was working on, she sorted out her bag and what books and things she wanted to return to her locker at school and then leaned back on the couch.

"You okay?" Ethan wondered.

"Yes, now that I have company," she replied.

He nodded in understanding, "I was thinking about tomorrow."

"Really? Oh..." She took a deep breath, "tomorrow's another work day."

"Yeah, and I know you and Noah spoke this morning about him staying here tonight, but what would you think about staying at our house again? Then in the morning, you could stay at our place with me and then Noah can come home after school and you'd already be there. It's just a thought and something you should talk to your dads about, but you're welcome to stay over at the house. I'll be there," he suggested.

Rachel thought about his offer and though she felt like she would be a bother, she did like the idea of being there when her boyfriend got home, "are you sure it would be okay? I wouldn't be interrupting anything?"

"No, you wouldn't. The only thing I may have to do is go grocery shopping, but you'd be welcome to come with me or stay at the house," he told her.

"I'll talk to Noah and my dads tonight about it and if they're okay, we'll do that," she smiled at him, "I'm sure they'll be alright with that. They may want to talk to you, too."

Ethan nodded, "they're welcome to call or come over anytime."

...

Talking with Ethan for a little longer, they went back to what they were doing, but she stopped her work a little after two, to make sure that the house wasn't a mess when her dads got home. A little after two-thirty, Rachel and Ethan headed out to his SUV and he drove them to McKinley, parking in the visitor parking at the front of the school when they got there.

"Are you ready to do this?" Ethan asked, knowing this was the first time she'd been back there since everything happened.

Rachel took a deep breath, "I don't know. I hope I am; just let me take my time," she said softly.

"You got it," Ethan nodded.

After a moment to gather her thoughts, she opened the door and slid out, getting her bag from the backseat and when the doors were shut, she met Ethan at the back of the SUV. With her in the lead, they walked towards the main entrance of the school and Ethan pulled the door open for her.

With a 'thank you' smile to Ethan, Rachel stepped inside the school for the first time in several weeks and took another calming breath, "_you can do this, Rachel. You love school. Just take it easy and Ethan's right behind you,_" she told herself, moving further into the building as memories, both good and bad began to return to her.

Turning down a familiar hallway, Rachel stayed close to the right side, where her boyfriend's locker was, wanting to stay as far away from the left side as she could, because across the hallway from Noah, Matt, Finn and Mike's lockers, was Crystal's. Unable to stop her eyes to drifting to that side of the hallway, Rachel saw the locker she knew had been _hers_, but now the combination lock was gone and the door was ajar, meaning that it was an empty locker.

Ethan stayed a few feet behind her, giving her space, but also was close enough if she had a problem, and he found her looking at a section of lockers, one missing a lock and he realized quickly why her attention was on that one, "Rachel, are you alright?"

"I think so," she mumbled softly, brushing her good hand along her boyfriend's locker as she passed it, remembering many times she'd waited at Noah's locker with him and turned to talk to Carly and _her_, who were standing at their lockers across the way. "How could have I been so blind?" She asked softly.

"What was that?" Ethan asked, walking to catch up to her as they passed the lockers and moved down the hallway.

Rachel bit her lip and glanced at him, "I'm just wondering how I could have been so blind... Noah, Matt, Mike and Finn's lockers are on the right side and across the hall is where _her_ locker was, next to Carly's... Noah knew Carly from a class they share, but he hadn't met _her_ until the concert and when we came back to school from break, how did I miss her dislike for me? I mean..."

"Don't do that to yourself, Rachel," Ethan said quietly, "don't try to figure out what you did wrong, because you didn't do _anything_ wrong. Don't blame yourself for thinking you missed something or could have prevented what happened," he told her honestly, having experienced similar feelings in the past. "I've been through that before, when I was a cop full-time. You can't beat yourself up about what happened or you'll spend the rest of your life second guessing everything you do, say or feel. There is nothing you could have done to prevent what she did," he looked at her as they came to a stop at her locker.

Rachel couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips as she listened to him, for the first time really talking to him without others around, "wow," she took a deep breath, "you're right," she nodded, reaching out to her lock to put the combination in, "I'm trying not to, but I can't help it right now..."

"I know and it's not going to be easy, but you'll get through this, I promise. I did and I know you will, too," he assured her. "You've got a lot of great things going for you and you don't want this to ruin your life."

Biting her lip, she nodded, "you're right," she said again, pulling open her locker door and was shocked at what she found inside. On the bottom of her locker, there were tons of pieces of paper, all folded up small enough to fit through the small vents on the locker door and they were all addressed to her, "what in the world!" She gasped, reaching out to stop a few from falling out.

Ethan smirked, "it looks like you have some fans."

Blushing, she reached for one of them at the front and unfolded the paper, "_Rachel, sorry to hear what happened to you. It must have been scary, but so glad to hear you're home. Get well, soon! - Holly A.,_" she read out loud. "Wow, I don't even know someone named Holly," she admitted, "but that's nice of her... I wonder if these are all like this."

"Probably," Ethan replied, glancing at his watch, "school's about to let out, so are you ready for the crowd?" He asked, unsure if she was ready for that all yet.

"Yes, I think I will be," Rachel nodded, opening a side pocket on her bag and began stuffing the folded pieces of paper into it so she could have room to put her things inside, "I did alright at the mall. Besides, this is usually where our friends meet after school."

"Alright," he nodded, letting her continue what she was doing.

Emptying out some of the notes inside, she gasped again, when she realized she'd missed something big; she'd been so focused on what was at the bottom of the locker, she didn't see the bottoms of the flower stems and looked up, seeing a bouquet of pink roses leaning inside. Reaching up, she pulled the card from where it was taped on the plastic wrap around the flowers and knew from the writing of her name on the front that it was from her boyfriend. Sliding the card out, she skimmed over the words, "_welcome back, babe. Love ya! - Noah,_" she smiled and pressed a kiss to the card, and then carefully took the flowers out, "can you hold these?" She asked, smelling them and relaxing to their scent.

Reaching out, Ethan took the bouquet from her, "I guess he stopped on his way to school this morning."

"Well, he followed me almost all the way this morning, so unless he turned around after I got home, he might have gone out during lunch," she explained, pulling a book out of her bag to get some more room to put the notes and as the bell rang, she continued to add her books to her locker and put the folded papers into her bag.

Behind her, she could hear the quiet hallway begin to rumble with noise as more students filled it, the doors of lockers opening and closing and everyone talking. Once all her notes were in her bag and her books, binders and folders were back in her locker, she closed it, "okay, that's done."

"Who is the stranger in Rachel's locker?" A familiar voice asked and Rachel turned to see Mercedes and Kurt, with Noah, Mike and Brittany right behind them, "oh! It is, Rachel! Welcome back, girl!"

"Thanks," Rachel smiled, stepping forward to hug Mercedes and Kurt. When she pulled away from them, she accepted one from Mike and Brittany, before finally getting to her boyfriend, "thank you for the flowers," she smiled at him.

"You're welcome, babe," he replied, wrapping his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her lips, "how are you doing?"

"It's a long story," she admitted, "but right now, I'm doing okay. What's with all the notes in my locker?"

"Oh, that was my idea last week," he smirked, "everyone wanted to leave you notes, so I told them to stuff them into your locker and you'd get them when you came back."

"And you didn't think to mention that to me?" She wondered.

"I thought it might be a nice surprise," he shrugged.

"So did we," Kurt added.

Rachel smiled at them, "well it was. I only read one of them, but it was nice to see. I didn't expect it at all."

Noah pressed a kiss to her forehead, "other people care, babe. They might not know you personally, but something like that happens, they at least wanna say something."

"Yeah, I see that," she relaxed against him.

...

After some of their friends talked to Rachel and had gotten things out of their lockers, a few headed right to the choir room, while some of them, Noah, Rachel, Ethan, Finn, Quinn, Mike and Matt headed to the guys' lockers. Rachel knew she'd just been down the hallway earlier and hadn't done as well, but hoped with what Ethan had told her and having Noah and the others around, she'd do better than before.

When they reached their lockers, the guys got their books and Rachel turned around, seeing Carly at her locker, "Carly!" She called out to catch her attention.

Carly looked up and around until she saw Rachel, "oh wow! Hey Rachel! Noah said you'd be back today for Glee, but I didn't think I'd see you in the halls," she admitted, closing her locker and walking over to them, "it's good to see you back."

"Thanks," Rachel smiled, glad she'd moved closer to them, "I'm not fully back, but I should be Monday."

"It's a start," Carly nodded.

"It is," Rachel agreed, "do you have any plans? Like ones that you need to get to right now?"

"Um, no. Just some homework, why?" Carly wondered.

"Well, since you were over for the awards, we were talking about having a party for Noah this weekend and I was going to bring it up during Glee, since they were all there, and thought you could join us briefly to discuss ideas," Rachel explained, "or you know, you could see if you wanted to join Glee, too," she added with a grin.

Carly laughed lightly at the last part, but nodded, "I don't know about that, but I could join you to plan the party," she admitted.

"Great!" Rachel smiled.

...

When the guys were finished at their lockers, the large group, including Carly, headed towards the choir room and found seats inside and Rachel explained why Carly was there, to the ones who hadn't heard Rachel ask her. Once everyone had arrived and Will had greeted Rachel, she stood up in front of the club and was about to start talking about the party, but Noah stood up, "uh, babe, you might want to let me go first."

"Noah, you shouldn't be planning your own party," Rachel commented.

He laughed nervously and glanced at Ethan, "I'm not going to be talking about the party," he said, "just... please sit down and let me go first... You guys are all going to want to be sitting for this," he admitted, guiding his girlfriend back to her chair.

"Please don't say you're leaving again," Finn begged, once Noah took his place in front of the class.

At Finn's question, several friends gasped and began throwing concerned questions out, enough that the room was getting pretty noisy, so Noah whistled loudly to settle them down, "no, I'm not leaving," he said once they'd quieted.

As a loud sigh of relief filtered through the class, Noah took a deep breath and he glanced at his dad again and Ethan nodded at him to continue, "okay, um... So you guys know what songs we're singing at Regionals... 'Beautiful', 'You're The One That I Want' and 'My Life Would Suck Without You'," he started and when everyone nodded, he went on, "well, after I accepted my last award on Sunday night, I left the stage to meet up with my parents in the audience," he explained.

"I think I saw you do that at the tail end of the awards... Or at least, you going down the steps before they stopped broadcasting," Rachel commented.

"Yeah," Noah nodded, "well, it was busy since everyone was starting to leave and when I finally got to my parents and got a chance to hug them and Taylor and talk for a moment, I said 'goodbye' to Taylor and his dad and then they left. The three of us wait until it cleared out a little before I headed backstage to sign for and pick up my other awards," he paused, taking a deep breath, "now, Rachel don't get pissed, because I felt it was only fair that everyone in this room found out at the same time," he warned her lightly.

"What? Noah, what's going on?" Rachel asked.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he pulled up his pictures and scrolled through them until he found the one with Olivia and showed it to her, "a woman and her husband came up to us and she wanted to meet me."

"Oh my!" Rachel gasped, "is that Olivia Newton-John?" She asked loudly, which drew everyone's attention to Noah's iPhone.

"It is," Noah nodded, "and I thought it was really neat, you know? Because we're doing a song from Grease for competition, but then 'neat' turned into something else."

Holding the phone closer so some others could see the picture, he let Will see it and then he pocketed his phone and began pacing a little, "you see, um... She told me she'd see me in a few weeks and when I asked her what she meant, she was surprised that I didn't know that she and Josh Groban would be judges at our Regionals," he explained.

"What?" "Are you kidding me?" "You're joking, right?" "You can't be serious!"

"He's not joking," Ethan commented from the piano bench he was sitting on.

"I briefly thought that maybe you guys just hadn't told me, since I'd missed a few days of school and that's what I made her think, but I knew there was no way you guys knew or I would have heard about it," Noah told them. "And that's why I didn't want you to get upset for keeping this from you, Rachel, because I felt it was only fair to tell everyone here at once, instead of telling you and then telling the others," Noah added, looking at his girlfriend.

"Oh, um," Rachel bit her lip, "I understand. You're right," she nodded, butterflies building in her stomach at what she'd just heard.

"So just to be clear, you're saying that Josh Groban _and_ Olivia Newton-John will be judges at our competition... Where we're singing a song from Grease?" Kurt asked.

"Yes," Noah confirmed.

"Oh, we're fucked," Finn groaned, sinking down in his seat.

"Those were my exact words," Noah said, glancing at Ethan.

Ethan smirked, "they were."

"But if celebrities are judging us, and you're in the club, couldn't that be seen as a conflict of interest?" Ryan asked, speaking up for the first time since Noah dropped the news, "I mean, you've talked to Olivia... Have you ever talked to Josh?"

"No and yes," Noah replied, "yes I have talked to Josh and he told he me doesn't think we could be disqualified, because he was concerned about the same thing when he was asked. He was part of the 'We Are The World' recording that I did on Monday and we talked about it that night. He knew I'd be there for it and he told the board that when he was asked to be a judge. They told him they couldn't control our contact outside of the competition and they thought it would be fairer for everyone if they had some celebrities judging, who wouldn't just give us all the points because I was their favorite singer," Noah explained. "I'm sorry guys, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I wasn't going to keep it from you."

Rachel stood up and moved to her boyfriend, seeing he felt bad, "thank you for telling us, Noah. We're glad you did and now we at least know what we're getting into and won't be surprised when we get to Detroit," she said, hugging him.

"She's right. We're glad you told us," Finn added.

"Yeah, we are, but what are we going to do?" Mercedes asked looking around. "If we sing a song that Olivia did once, isn't that going to look like we planned it that way?"

"Any show choir member or director is going to know it takes more than a few weeks to plan, rehearse, and nail a song and choreography, so even if they think that, they know it's not possible," Will replied, "and we don't have enough time to pick a new song. We're going to have to stick with the ones we've been working on," he added.

Noah heard the groans and took a deep breath, "I know it's not going to be easy, trust me, I'm nervous, too, but I have faith in all of us. We just have to focus on our performance, be ourselves and not worry about who is watching."

"Just treat them like normal people," Rachel said, looking at her boyfriend, "right?"

"Yeah, exactly," Noah nodded, "now we just have to figure out when to meet. Part of the reason why I wanted to start off was because I was going to suggest that we spend one day this weekend practicing here at school. We could also use it as a time to have the party, too."

"That's a good idea," Kurt commented, "I vote Saturday."

"Can we Mr. Schue?" Finn asked, looking at Will.

Will thought for a moment, "you guys really want to take your Saturday to practice?"

"We really need to, Mr. Schuester. I think we'd all feel more comfortable if we had extra time to practice," Quinn commented, "Regionals is next weekend, after all."

As others in the room nodded in agreement to what Quinn said, Will agreed, "alright, Saturday it is. Maybe be here about ten in the morning? We can take a break around noon and I don't know what you were thinking about for the party, but we can see if someone would be alright bringing up lunch around then. Carly and others you were going to invite can join us then, too," Will explained.

"Alright, sounds good to me," Carly nodded.

Noah nodded, "cool, looks like we've got time for practice and the party."

"We do," Rachel replied, and others nodded in agreement.

...

A/N4: Happy 2nd Birthday, Starlight! I could have updated this a few weeks ago, but when I realized how close it was to today, so I decided to hold off to update on it's birthday. I posted the prologue and first chapter on 3/1/2010. A lot has happened since then and I have so many more plans for this fic! Thank you, everyone, for enjoying this and sticking with me! Love you all!

A/N5: For those of you who would like to read my Lark (Lea/Mark RPF) fics, which I ONLY post on my LJ (RPF goes against FF's rules), the links are below. You're welcome to read and comment without having an account with LJ. If you'd like me to message you when I update, I can do that, too. Just PM me and we can discuss it. The two fics I have posted now are going to be turned into a series, AU after 1/1/2012 and the end of 3x11 - Michael.

'Breaking The Rules' ( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com / 54783 . html ) - Lea and Mark finally get to spend a New Year's Eve together!

'Something To Talk About' ( sapphiresfic . livejournal . com / 55471 . html ) - continued from 'Breaking The Rules' - After the events of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Mark and Lea definitely have a lot to talk about.

...


	44. Chapter 44 a & b on LJ

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Once the Glee club settled down from the news that Noah had dropped on them, they decided to practice their songs a few times. Rachel wanted to see how behind she was and also wanted to see if there was anything she'd have to do differently because of her cast.

Rachel was happily surprised that she'd kept up as well as she had. Her vocals were not an issue and she had remembered a large portion of the choreography. Her cast hadn't gotten in the way, like she thought it might, which she was relieved for, but knew she was still behind, but not as much as she thought she might be. She was about where everyone else was. While she had been missing and then out of school, and Noah being gone for a week, everyone else had tried to practice, but missing leads for some of their songs made it difficult to work on everything. They were all behind and knew they'd need Saturday's practice and a lot of free time the following week to master their dances.

The club worked until a little after four-thirty. Will could see they had made some progress, but also didn't want to wear them down too much before the weekend practice, so he let them go a little earlier than usual. Ethan stayed to talk to Will, but said he'd meet the teens outside and Carly had stuck around the whole time to watch the club practice and walked out of them room with all of them when they started to leave. Walking through the now empty halls, some of the teens split off for the day, saying 'goodbye' and heading out to their cars, leaving Finn, Quinn, Noah, Rachel and Carly to stop at the guys' lockers one last time before they went home.

"So what did you think, Carly?" Rachel asked.

"You guys are awesome," Carly admitted with a smile, "um, were you really serious about me joining?"

"Yeah, if it's something you'd be interested in. We'd always love new members. Ryan joined us after Sectionals and you could join after Regionals. He came with us for Sectionals, actually, so if you want to, we could see if Mr. Schuester would be okay with you joining us for Regionals next weekend. You could get the competition experience and see if it's something you'd be okay being a part of," Rachel explained.

"If you joined it'd make us have an even amount of guys and girls, too," Quinn added, "that would be cool."

Carly took a deep breath, "um, okay. That would be cool. I don't know if I'd be able to go next weekend. I'd have to talk to my parents, but as long as it's a school trip and there are adults going, I don't think they'd have a problem with it. We'll see."

Rachel nodded, "that's understandable. Yes, there are adults going. There has to be because we're going out of state. It's in Detroit. We'll talk to Ethan and either he or Noah can bring it up to Mr. Schuester tomorrow."

"Noah's parents and sister, Mr. Schue, Ms. Pillsbury, Kurt's dad and my mom are going with us," Finn said as he closed his locker.

"Carly, you might as well say you're gonna join, because they're not gonna let up until you do," Noah smirked.

"Okay, okay... I'll join," Carly blushed, "I sing in the shower and don't dance well, but I guess I'll get better when I practice," she admitted.

"Exactly!" Rachel grinned.

...

The five teens walked towards the exit of the school and made their way to their cars. They paused at Ethan's SUV and Quinn, Finn and Carly said 'goodbye', leaving Rachel and Noah waiting for Ethan. "Carly's joining Glee. That's awesome," Noah smiled.

"It is. I was hoping she would. She already gets along with everyone, so I know they'll all welcome her," she pulled her phone from her pocket and created a text message, sending it to everyone who hadn't been there to let them know that Carly was joining, "and I hope Mr. Schuester is able to let her join us on the trip."

"I'm sure she can come. I don't see why not," Noah shrugged, slipping his arms around her, "enough about everyone else," he said, taking her phone from her hands and slipping back into her jacket pocket, "I'm more into you," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her lips.

Rachel melted into his embrace, "I needed this," she murmured as their lips broke apart.

Noah glanced at her, realizing there was more to her comment than just wanting a hug or kiss, "babe, what's wrong?" He asked concerned.

"If I told you that I'm staying at your house tonight and ask you to let me tell you and my dads at the same time, would that be alright?" She asked softly.

"Of course," Noah nodded, not wanting to push her, but couldn't help his curiosity, "did something happened today? Because this morning we talked about staying at your place."

"I know," she bit her lip, "something did. I just think it would be easier if I could tell you and my dads together. I've already spoken to your dad; he knows and said I could stay. We'll still go to my place and talk to dad and daddy, have dinner and all that, but we're just going back to your house tonight."

"Okay," he shrugged, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "you're the boss," he winked.

"Thanks," she blushed, snuggling against him, "this is definitely nice."

Noah smiled, rubbing her back gently, "it is." He was very curious about what was up, but tried not to ask again, deciding to change the subject instead, "you were amazing today. Sure, we all do need some time to practice more, but I think we'll be okay."

"Me too!" Rachel grinned, pulling back a little to look at him, "I'm glad. We've all missed a lot of time together, but even after the short time we had today, I'm sure we'll be okay with the performance; it's the nerves we may have issues with."

"Yeah, I figured that," he nodded, "are you sure you're not mad at me for not telling you sooner?"

"I'm sure," she promised, "you're right. It's only fair we found out at the same time. It's okay," she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips, "so stop worrying."

"Alright," he smiled, seeing his dad and Will walking towards them, "Mr. Schue's here, too. We can talk to him about Carly now."

Rachel turned around and saw him, "okay, cool."

...

Explaining to the guys that Carly had decided to join, Will was happy to have another member in the club. He didn't see a problem with her joining them on their trip, as long as her parents were okay with it and she brought in a permission form, so Will asked Noah to talk to Carly the next day and have her find him when she had free time, so they could talk about the trip and club.

After a short time, Will welcomed Rachel back to the club, then said 'goodbye' and headed off to his car. Noah told his dad they'd be over later; he didn't know why they had changed plans, but Rachel promised to tell him and her dads once they got to her place. Ethan understood and asked that they not be back too late as he climbed into his SUV. The couple agreed and waved at Ethan, before heading over to Noah's SUV in the lot.

Reaching his SUV, Noah opened the door for Rachel and helped her inside, before getting in the driver's seat and soon they were on their way to her house. Being just a short trip, Noah parked in front of their house and the two climbed out. They grabbed their bags and Noah followed her up to the house and went inside behind her, knowing her dads were already home. Dropping their bags by the stairs, she took her jacket off and then the two moved into the kitchen, "hey dad, hey daddy!" Rachel greeted, smiling when she saw them.

"Hey you two, how was Glee?" David asked, wrapping his arms around Rachel.

"It went really well. We still have some issues, but we were all picking things up. We're all meeting Saturday at school to practice and we decided to do Noah's party then, too," Rachel explained, returning his hug.

"Oh really? At school?" David commented surprised.

"Yeah, during a lunch break from practice," Noah added, "we need all the practice time we can get. Regionals is next weekend and even though we're not as behind as we thought, we need the time to work together."

"That's understandable," Alan agreed, "you guys haven't really had a full rehearsal for almost a month."

Rachel nodded, "and also because Noah let us know something he found out while he was in California, so everyone is nervous about it, too."

"What's that?" David wondered.

"Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban are going to be judges at Regionals," Noah said simply, taking a seat at the island.

"Oh, wow! Aren't you guys doing a Grease song?" Alan asked.

"Yes, we are," Rachel nodded, "and we don't have time to pick a new song, so we have to stick to it. It's just going to be difficult. Aside from everyone meeting Taylor, only Quinn, Finn, Noah and I have met other celebrities, so we many not be starstruck or nervous, but the rest might, especially because of the song."

"That is possible, but they all seemed to take quickly to Taylor being around, so maybe they won't be as nervous as expected," David commented.

"That's what I hope, but it's a different situation. I know we can't really prepare for that, so as long as we're aware of it, we can now hopefully focus on just our performances," Rachel explained, taking a seat next to Noah. She knew he was holding back on asking what happened that afternoon, so she decided to continue with it, "um, after dinner, I'm going to pack some things and go stay at Noah's house tonight and possibly tomorrow night," she said softly.

"Really? You said this morning you guys were staying here," Alan said, moving over to them.

"Apparently something happened today, but she hasn't told me what yet. She wanted to tell us all together," Noah said, nudging her playfully, "so, what happened?"

Rachel couldn't help the blush that grew on her cheeks. After thinking about what happened, she got a little embarrassed that such a little thing bothered her, but she couldn't shake her feelings, "well, I was fine when I first got home. I showered and then started doing homework. Without anyone at home besides me, every noise I heard freaked me out and then someone rang the doorbell and I couldn't handle it anymore. I called Ethan and he came over around eleven-thirty or twelve with lunch and kept me company. We talked briefly and he suggested that if I stayed at their house tonight, when Noah and Arin go to school and Deborah goes to work, I could stay there and hang out, do my work there and Ethan would be around, so I wouldn't be alone. Then when Noah got out of school, he could come home and I'd be there already, so we could see each other and now with our practice on Saturday, I just figured it'd be easier to stay there again tomorrow night," she explained, "and of course you guys are invited for dinner."

"Oh sweetheart," David moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her, "I'm so sorry. You seemed so confident that wouldn't be an issue that I felt better about going back to work; I should have waited."

"I didn't know I'd have problems. I honestly thought I'd be okay," she replied, "no one knew I'd have issues, so don't be upset about going back to work. I didn't want you to stay out any longer than you already had been."

"I had a feeling you might have a problem, but since you seemed okay, I didn't want to bring it up," Alan admitted, "but I'm glad Ethan was able to come over to help you out."

"Me too," Rachel agreed, "I felt bad calling him, but I didn't know what else to do. I knew if I told you guys, you'd take off work and rush home and I didn't want that and I also didn't want you skipping school on your first day back to come over to be with me," she said, looking at her boyfriend.

"I would have in a heartbeat," Noah said honestly, "but I understand why you didn't tell me," he added, taking her hand in his, "it wouldn't look too good to skip on my first day back," he admitted sadly.

Rachel nodded, "yes, exactly, which is why I didn't say anything. I really appreciate that you'd do anything for me, but that's not something I want you to do. I took care of things; well, kind of. Your dad came over and none of you had to miss work or school. I'll be with him tomorrow so it doesn't happen and then I'm back to school on Monday. Hopefully with most of this behind me, so I can focus on Glee and getting back to normal."

...

Rachel was relieved they didn't put too much fuss up about it. She knew they felt bad she'd had problems, but was glad they were understanding and okay with her arrangements for the next day. Settling down for dinner, they let their conversation shift to how Rachel did being back at school. She admitted she'd had a slight problem in the hallway, but that slowly disappeared the more she was there. They also talked about the plans for Saturday and agreed to talk more about it the next night when David and Alan joined them at the Puckerman's for dinner.

Finishing up downstairs, Noah and Rachel moved up to her bedroom with their bags. She needed to pack things to take to her boyfriends, so while she was doing that, Noah pulled out of one of his books and started on his homework.

After a short while of Noah working and Rachel packing, Noah had a thought, "you know, if you ever wanted to, you could leave some of your clothes at my place, or just an outfit or something."

Pausing in her closet, Rachel turned to him, "really? Are you sure?"

"Of course," Noah nodded, getting up and moving towards her, "you spend time at my place and it saves packing everything all the time," he explained, "it's no different than me leaving a few shirts here, even though I know you like to sleep in them when I'm not here."

Rachel blushed at his words, "you know about that?"

"Yeah, but it's okay. I think you look hot in my clothes," he admitted with a grin as he slipped his arms around her waist.

"Then I won't bring any pajamas over and will just sleep in your shirts," she replied, pressing a kiss to his lips, "because I do enjoy wearing them."

"Sounds perfect to me," he agreed, kissing her once more.

"Noah," she blushed and knew he was trying to keep going, "if we're going to make it to your house at a decent time, I need to finish packing."

Noah sighed, reluctantly letting her go, "alright, I suppose I could finish my work while you're packing. I don't have much to do, just math and science."

Rachel nodded and kissed him once more before he walked away. Moving back to her closet, she collected a few more shirts and returned to her bed, going through her things. In one bag, she made sure she had clothes for the next few days, along with everything she'd need to shower or get ready with. In a smaller bag, she put her workout clothes and some things to take with on Saturday for Glee practice, along with different shoes. "I'm gonna go get my homework packed up and then I think I should be ready to go."

"Alright. I have a few questions to finish answering and I'll be done with science, so take your time. We can leave when you're done. Do you need any help?" Noah asked.

"No, I've got it," she replied, grabbing a bag and headed downstairs.

In the bag she usually takes to school, she'd forgotten was filled with all the notes from her locker and remembered her flowers were still in Noah's car. Wanting to read all the messages at some point during the weekend, she organized her bag, stuffing the last few books and binders into it, so she could keep the notes inside. Leaving that bag by the door, she took her laptop upstairs and added it to her larger suitcase, "we have to be careful with this one. I have my laptop in it for some homework."

"Okay," Noah nodded and closed his book, "I'm done with my science. I can do math when I get home. Are you ready?"

Rachel glanced around her room, "I think so. I have a change of clothes for a few days and things for practice on Saturday. That should get me through Saturday night, into Sunday. I was thinking we could stay here Sunday night. It's Glee on Monday, so we'll go together and that way I can see my dads before school."

"That sounds good. No problem here," he shrugged, open for anything at the moment.

...

Collecting their bags and saying 'goodnight' to her dads, Rachel and Noah loaded their things into his SUV and headed out to his place, arriving just after seven. After talking with his family for a short time, the two took their things up to his room and found comfortable places to sit and do homework. Rachel was sitting at his desk, while Noah did his math on his bed and since they didn't have the same work to do, they didn't do a lot of talking. Rachel knew she couldn't finish hers that night, but passed the time while he was doing his work for the next day.

Noah's math went quicker than he expected and just after eight he was done with it, closing his book and stashing it back into his bag. Rachel was still working, so he got up and set his bag by his door and then moved towards her, "you want to take a break?" He asked softly, leaning over her a little to see what she was doing.

Rachel blushed a little, "you're done already?"

"Yeah, and you've got all day tomorrow to work on your homework, so let's go raid the fridge," he smirked.

"Noah, it's eight at night and we're going to bed soon," she commented, putting her pen down and turning to look at him.

"So?" He shrugged, "alright, then let's make some popcorn and watch a movie."

She laughed lightly at his change, but nodded, "that sounds good."

...

Moving downstairs, Noah went to pop a few bags of popcorn in the microwave and Rachel went through his parent's movie collection and found a romantic comedy that Deborah said she liked, so she settled on that and met her boyfriend in the kitchen. Once the popcorn was done, the two headed downstairs and he set up the DVD player and the two got comfortable on the couch.

Noah didn't really care what the movie was about; he usually was pretty open to anything she picked and while she spent more time paying attention to it, he had his eye on her. He felt bad about what happened to her during the day. He tried to play it off when they were with her dads, by being understanding, which he did, but it still upset him. Even after being back home, safe for several weeks, he still got a sick feeling in his stomach whenever his mind would drift to why she was having those problems and he'd get even more pissed. He hated she had to go through anything like that.

Rachel was enjoying the movie, laughing lightly at things the characters went through, but could tell her boyfriend wasn't into it. She wasn't quite sure what was up with him; he was the one to suggest the movie, but she noticed he hardly took his eyes off her, so about halfway through the movie, she leaned forward, grabbed the remote and paused the movie, "alright, what's going on?" She asked, turning to look at him as she sat back.

"Nothing," he shrugged, "I'm fine."

"No you're not. Do you even know we're watching a movie? You have hardly taken your eyes off me since we sat down. I definitely don't mind it and being close to you is quite enjoyable, but something is wrong, so spill," she said, setting her half-empty popcorn bowl on the table.

Knowing she wasn't going to give in until he told her, Noah nodded and shifted a little so he could face her, pulling one leg up on the couch and folding it under him, "I still am upset about this afternoon. When you told us about it, I tried to be understanding and I do get it, but it still bothered me," he sighed, "when you have problems, I think back to what caused them all and it pisses me off. I haven't really shaken what happened to you, yet."

"Oh, Noah," Rachel leaned forward and wrapped her good arm around him in a hug, "I'm here. I haven't totally shaken what happened either, but I'm better."

Noah held her close to him and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "I know and I'm so thankful for that, but sometimes I just can't help these sick feelings I get when you have a problem and it's from what happened," he bit his lip and pulled back a little, taking her good hand in his and squeezing it gently, "I was there when you told Mike and Allison what happened exactly and my imagination is too active at times, so I get these flashes of you when she had you and it still pisses me off that I couldn't protect you. I swore to you I would and then this happens. I keep wondering if I missed something I should have seen."

Rachel quickly realized that Noah had never talked about or dealt with everything, like she had. She'd talked about and was dealing with it, but he'd been her rock, listening to her and helping her recover, while he was holding in all of his emotions to be the strong one for her and finally, he was starting to crack, "I had those same feelings today, actually, and your dad told me, 'don't try to figure out what you did wrong, because you didn't do _anything_ wrong'. He's right. She was hiding things from everyone and there was nothing we could have done to prevent her from doing what she did. He said he'd experienced similar feelings while being a cop and," she paused, trying to remember his exact words, "I think he said 'you can't beat yourself up about what happened or you'll spend the rest of your life second guessing everything you do, say or feel'. Again, he's right. There isn't a day go by that I don't remember what happened to me, but what's really helped is talking about it with you and everyone. The more I do it, the easier it is for me to deal with, so don't hold it in; the sick feeling won't be as bad if you do talk about it," she squeezed his hand, "as for protecting me, you had no clue this was going to happen, so you couldn't have protected me from it, but you've been there for me for everything since and that means the world to me. You do not know how good I felt when I opened my eyes and saw you; you may not have stopped what happened, but you found me and you've been helping me deal with everything; I see that as protection," leaning forward she pressed a kiss to his lips, "I feel horrible that it's taken this long for me to figure out you need to talk, too. When I first got back, you seemed okay, but I should have known things might change. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he shook his head, resting his free hand on her cheek, his thumb gently brushing over her skin, "I haven't wanted to talk, because I thought I was getting past things; you know? I remember we talked briefly just after you were home and at the time, all my fears and worries had disappeared because you were home. Since then, I guess I have been keeping things bottled up, because I wanted to be strong for you and I'm not used to always talking about feelings. Sometimes, yeah, but not always, but you're right. Talking about it does make me feel better," he admitted honestly.

"Good," Rachel smiled, shifting closer to him, ending with her sitting on his lap with her good arm wrapped around his neck, "keep talking," she added, pressing a kiss to his lips.

Noah blushed a little, but gladly welcomed her and slid his arms around her body, "well, what my dad said; yeah he is right. I know logically I should be able to let go, because I couldn't have done anything differently, but my heart can't shake it. I don't think I'd ever second guess myself, but this has definitely made me a bit more cautious. I'm sure some of that will go away over time," he paused, remembering something else she said, "I'm so glad I was there to find you, too. Dad almost didn't let me, but Mike talked him into it. There was no way I was gonna let someone else find you. I wanted you to know that I'd be there for you for anything and that's never going to change. I'll always be by your side," he promised.

Rachel grinned brightly and pressed a loving kiss to his lips. He gently returned the affection and as their lips broke apart, she pressed her forehead against his, "I know you always will be. I love you," she murmured.

"I love you, too," he replied with a bright smile.

...

The teens went to bed shortly after their big discussion, because Noah still had to go to school Friday. When they woke up that morning, Noah insisted she didn't have to get up with him, but she wanted to. Her goal was to finish her homework that day and wanted to get an early start on it, so she could have the weekend free before returning to school.

Rachel had slept well, just like the night before, but this time when she woke up, there was no confusion; she knew where she was. She was definitely relieved that she'd gotten past it, because she enjoyed staying with him.

After everyone had gotten ready for the day, they all sat down to a nice breakfast together, before walking everyone to their cars in the garage. Saying 'goodbye', Rachel and Ethan watched them leave and then went back inside. Even though Ethan insisted she didn't have to, Rachel helped him clean up from breakfast, before she went upstairs to shower.

Once she was ready for the day, Rachel started right on her homework. She felt weird being in Noah's room without him, so she gathered up the things she'd need and went down to the dinning table to work. Ethan knew she had work to do so he gave her some space, but after a while, he joined her, thinking they could talk about some arrangements for the 'party' the next day. They knew that Finn's mom was bringing a cake and as much as Rachel didn't like the idea of pizza being the 'food', she agreed it would be the best idea for the time and situation. She also knew she couldn't keep a fear of pizza for the rest of her life, so she promised him and herself that she'd be okay with it.

Having a break for lunch, Rachel got back to work and finished more of her assignments. She only had a few more to do and knew they wouldn't take very long, so she settled in and by the time her boyfriend and their friends had finished with school for the day, she was done. "_Finally! After working for almost two weeks on this all, I'm done,_" she thought, gathering up all of her things and heading back upstairs to put them in Noah's room.

As she reached the top of the stairs, Ethan was walking towards her, "hey, you finish your work?"

Rachel smiled happily and nodded, "I did."

"Awesome. I bet you're glad you're done with it. Now you've got the weekend free," Ethan replied, "Noah's on his way to pick up Arin at school, so they should be home in a bit."

"Oh, alright. That's cool. Thank you for letting me stay over here, today. I know it may not have seemed like much, but it means a lot," Rachel admitted.

"Don't mention it," Ethan waved his hand, "it's cool. Glad to help out any way I can. Besides, it doesn't hurt to get out of your house for a while," he added.

"Very true," she agreed with a nod, "I actually like being out here. It's quiet. There isn't the noise from neighbors or unexpected visitors," she explained, "but there still are noises. I'm actually surprised it doesn't bother me, because of where she had me," she admitted, stepping into her boyfriend's room to drop her things onto his bed.

"That probably all has to do with feelings. You know you are safe and comfortable here, so even though we live in a quieter area with similar features to the place she had you, it's also totally different," Ethan explained.

Rachel nodded, moving out of Noah's room and followed Ethan downstairs, "yeah. It is very different. I think this was a really good step and now it's one less that I have to achieve."

"Exactly. Pretty soon this will be behind you as nothing more than a memory," he said, moving into the kitchen.

"I can't wait for that. I sometimes think the reason why I'm still reminded of it more is because of my cast. I'm hoping once it's gone that I'll be able to move on more than I have," she commented.

"That could be," he agreed moving to the fridge and getting out a few things he needed to start dinner along with a bottle of water for her.

Rachel gladly accepted the bottle and took a seat at the island. She opened it a took a swig, watching as Ethan began to start cooking and for the moment, let her mind wander. After a few minutes, a thought came to her, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything," Ethan replied with a nod.

"Um," she blushed and ran her hand through her hair, "Noah's probably going to be upset that I said anything, but Noah isn't past what happened to me and I'm not sure how much he'll talk to me about it. We did talk a little last night and he admitted he'd been bottling things up and I think he's been trying to stay strong for me. I told him he shouldn't hold it in and should talk about it, because talking has really helped me, but could I also have suggested writing music? I don't know how he gets inspired to write."

"Definitely," Ethan nodded, "it's a good idea. I'm sure he's been more focused on you, so it's not crossed his mind. He's never been one to talk about his feelings all the time, so he puts them into his music. That's why most of the songs he wrote on his last album were about friends, family, being at home or wanting to be himself. He had an opportunity to have some freedom from the business and when he had to go back to it, he put how upset and pissed he was into the songs he wrote, to express himself," he explained honestly, "so that's a really good suggestion."

"Okay cool. I knew that, so that's why I thought of it, but I wasn't sure if that worked for everything or if it was just certain things," she admitted, "Noah is very talented. So are you. I know you helped him write some of his songs, too."

Ethan smiled, "thanks and yes he is. I'm sure he'll get to it once things settle down. He's focused on you right now and Regionals is on all of your minds, so he probably doesn't want to distract himself with new music, while you all need to stay focused on Regionals."

"Oh yeah! I didn't think of that. That definitely could be it," she agreed, taking a sip of her water, "I'll talk to him about it when he gets home. I'd love to watch him go through the writing process. I've never seen it before."

"Sometimes it happens quickly, sometimes it takes forever. There are times when Noah sits down and in a few hours can write a chorus and a few verses, along with guitar or piano music. Other times he has the music, but not the words; it just depends on the mood he's in and what flows. Same with me," he explained, "but it's great when it's done and you can hear the final product. It's an amazing feeling."

"I bet it is," she smiled, jumping when the gate alarm went off, like a doorbell echoing through the house.

"You okay?" Ethan asked, not bothered by the sound.

Rachel blushed and nodded, "yeah, I just wasn't expecting it. Noah and Arin are home?"

"Yeah. Deborah doesn't usually get home until after four. Most of the time I pick up Arin or she goes home with a friend that lives near where we used to," Ethan explained.

"Oh. That must be hard for her. Not living near her friends anymore," she commented.

"Yes, but her friends parents, Deborah and I all work together so the kids can still hang out. When Noah and I were gone, Arin always went home with her friend and then Deborah would pick her up after she got off. Now that we're home, we split it up. The days I'm at school for Glee, she goes home with her friend and Deborah picks her up, the other days, I pick her up. Gives her and I some bonding time."

"That's good," Rachel smiled, "you could have gone to get her today. I think I would have been alright for a short time."

"It's okay. Noah has to go right by there on the way home, so it's not out of his way," he explained as the door to the garage opened and they could hear footsteps on the floor.

Rachel turned so she was facing the door and after a few moments, Arin skipped into the kitchen and waved at Rachel before moving to Ethan to hug him.

"Arin! You could have hung up your jacket," Noah called out.

Ethan hugged Arin and looked at her, "did you leave your jacket on the stairs?"

Arin blushed and sighed, pulling away and moving out of the kitchen and both Ethan and Rachel could hear the closet door opening, "see, that wasn't so hard," Noah commented.

"I was gonna hang it up later," Arin replied as she returned to the kitchen.

"That's usually my line and I usually forget," he replied, joining them in the kitchen and smiling when he saw his dad and Rachel, "hey dad. Hey babe," he smiled, moving to his girlfriend.

"Hey, Noah," Rachel smiled brightly, reaching out and wrapping her good arm around him in a hug when he got near her, "how was school?"

He shrugged, pulling back a little to press a kiss to her lips, "it was school. Carly got a permission slip from Mr. Schue and said she'd talk to her parents tonight and bring it back tomorrow if she can go with us. How was your day? You didn't respond to any of my messages, so did you get them?"

Rachel's eyes widened and then she blushed, "no, sorry. I left my phone in my bag upstairs while I was doing homework down here," she admitted. "I'm glad Carly talked to Mr. Schuester."

Noah nodded in understanding at her comment about Carly and then continued, "ah, that explains it. Others had also written you and were curious. You may want to check your messages," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I will," she assured him, "do you have any homework?"

"Nope. Our math teacher was gone today and didn't want our substitute going over the next lesson. My other classes were just going over past work and some lecture, so we didn't get any assignments," he explained.

"Awesome! Neither of us have to do any homework this weekend. I finished all of my work today," she explained, "just what are we going to do?"

Noah grinned, "I think it's about time I take you out on a date," he admitted honestly.

"Really?" Rachel blushed.

"Yeah, really," he nodded, "it's been a while since we've gone out, just you and me. I figured since we'll be practicing and having the party tomorrow, that we could go out Sunday afternoon. Then we could head to your place afterward."

"That sounds like a great idea," she smiled, "but I don't know what to do."

"It's alright. We'll come up with something."

...

Rachel and Noah stayed in the kitchen for a few more moments, before heading up to his room. She took her things off his bed and set them near her bags and got her cell phone, checking the messages. She responded to a few of them and soon was snuggling up with her boyfriend on his bed.

"Did you talk to my dad about tomorrow?" Noah asked.

"Yes I did," Rachel nodded, glancing up at him, "since Finn's mom is bringing the cake, we're just going to have pizza and drinks," she shrugged, "I know I've been against pizza, but I can't hate it forever and for the time frame we have and where we're going to be, it's easier to clean up than other things," she explained.

"That is true. You sure you'll be okay with it?" He asked concerned, knowing her reasons for not liking it.

She smiled at him, "I will be," she promised.

"Good," he reached out and brushed his hand along her cheek, "another thing to get past. You're doing amazing, babe."

Leaning into his touch, Rachel smiled and shifted closer to him, "thanks, Noah."

Noah let his hand drift down to rest on her forearm and then pressed a kiss to her lips, "you're welcome. I'm really proud of you. You're doing great in your recovery."

"I appreciate that, Noah. I'm trying and you've been a big help, too," she admitted, taking a deep breath, "um, I... I hope you're not upset, but I mentioned to your dad a little about what we'd talked about last night. I wanted to ask him about your writing," she explained, biting her lip.

"I don't mind," he assured her, "but what about my writing?"

"Well, I know you wrote 'Someone To Fall Back On' for me, but I wasn't sure how or when you wrote. I wanted to suggest that if you weren't used to talking about your feelings that you could write them into music and I asked your dad if it was a good suggestion and he said you usually did, anyway," she explained.

Noah lifted his hand and tapped his temple a little, before returning his hand to her arm, "I definitely have a few songs going on in my head," he admitted, "and yes, I do usually do that. It's a good release for me. I'll pick up a guitar sometime after Regionals. With all of us down to crunch time, I don't want to distract myself."

Rachel nodded in understanding, "that's what we thought. I just wanted to make sure. I can't wait to be around to see you go through the writing process. I've never experienced it before, so it'll be nice to see how things happen."

"It's fun, but it can also be very frustrating. Sometimes when I get a chorus and a verse written, I can get stuck on the rest. I have sheet music downstairs of just melodies and even recorded some, but never could find the words to put with them," he told her.

"I can definitely understand where that would be frustrating. I've never written my own music before, but I do know and have heard of writer's block before."

"Yeah, that's it. It sucks big time, but then there are times when things just come easily; especially when I'm inspired. You're definitely one of my favorite inspirations," he said truthfully, smiling at her.

Rachel felt her body begin to flush at his words, "I am?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her lips, "I'm in love, it's something I've never felt before, so now I'm inspired to write love songs. Have you heard that Sara Bareilles song 'Love Song' from a few years ago?"

"Yeah, but isn't that about not writing a love song?" She wondered.

He laughed lightly, "yeah," he thought a moment, and then sang the chorus of the song lightly, "_Blank stares at blank pages, no easy way to say this. You mean well, but you make this hard on me. I'm not gonna write you a love song 'cause you asked for it, 'cause you need one. You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song 'cause you tell me it's make or break in this if you're on your way. I'm not gonna write you to stay, if all you have is leaving I'm gonna need a better reason to write you a love song today,_" as he finished, he blushed a little, but smiled, "I used it to point out to the record company on my last album that I wasn't just gonna write love songs because they wanted them. I had to be in love to feel like writing them and now that I am, you've helped me open another door in my music," he admitted, "I only helped write the songs from 'Camp Rock' and the ones from 'Camp Rock 2' that I wrote after we got together should be a proof of that."

Rachel felt tears fill her eyes at his explanation, "oh Noah, I'm so happy I've been able to help you," she admitted, hugging him, "you're an amazing writer and I think you would have been able to write them without me, but it really means a lot to hear."

Noah smiled and returned her hug, "thanks, babe. I may have been able to, with dad's help, but I wouldn't have been able to feel them like I can now, so for that, thank you."

With tears falling from her eyes, she returned his smile and kissed him lovingly, "you're welcome."

...

The young couple's emotional moment turned into just relaxing, talking lightly about anything they could think of and enjoying the time together. When his mom and her dads arrived, they reluctantly emerged from his room and joined their families for dinner. They all talked about the party and practice the next day and what Rachel and Ethan had decided to do and sorted out some arrangements. David and Alan agreed to pick up drinks and Deborah and Ethan would take care of getting the pizza, all of them being reassured from Rachel that she was okay with it.

They also talked a little about the day and David and Alan were happy to hear she'd had a great and successful day, finishing up her homework. Rachel was definitely relieved to have it done and hoped she wouldn't have anymore make-up work to do once she got back.

After dinner they all sat around and continued their conversations, but soon her dads decided to get going and promised to be at McKinley the next day by noon, the time the teens had agreed to take a break for the party.

When it got closer to bedtime, Rachel's dads decided to get going, saying 'goodnight' to their daughter and promising to see her the next day. Rachel assured them she'd be fine and Noah and his family promised the same thing and said 'bye' to the two men as they left a little after eight.

Rachel and Noah knew they had an early morning, so even though they didn't want to, they knew they should try to get some sleep, so they could be ready for a long day of practice.

...

As Saturday morning arrived, Noah and Rachel were both up and having breakfast with his family by eight. Rachel took a shower first, after breakfast, since it took her a little longer because of her cast and when she was done, Noah hopped in to take a quick one. Neither were too worried about it, because they'd be sweating from their practice in a few short hours, but still wanted to start the day refreshed.

Noah was going in baggy shorts, a McKinley Football t-shirt and tennis shoes, while Rachel dressed in a pair of Capri yoga pants, a sports bra, a tank top and a matching track jacket to her pants, along with tennis shoes. Both of them had a small bag packed with a towel and a change of clothes, if they wanted to change later and a little after nine the two climbed into his SUV and made their way to McKinley.

When they arrived, Noah drove around to the side of the school and parked in the lot near the auditorium's side entrance, which was the only door Will said he'd unlock. Parking next to Finn's car and near a few others they recognized, the couple climbed out and with their bags over their shoulders, walked hand-in-hand into the auditorium. The door that was unlocked was also propped open and as they stepped through it, they saw Quinn, Finn, Tina, Mike and Artie, along with all of the band members there, who had arrived earlier to set up the instruments for practice.

"Hey Noah, hey Rachel," Quinn waved when she saw them.

"Hey everyone," Rachel replied with a smile as they moved towards the group, "did you guys just get here?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago," Quinn nodded, hugging Rachel as the guys greeted each other.

Rachel shared a hug with Tina and waved at the guys, "I'm actually looking forward to practice. The other day was fun. I've missed it."

"That's understandable," Tina nodded, "and we're really glad to have you back," she added.

"Thank you," Rachel smiled.

"Did Noah tell you that Kurt is bringing your costume?" Tina asked her.

"Yes, he did on the way here. He said you guys changed the shirt for us on our second outfit?" Rachel commented.

"We did," Quinn nodded. "All of the girls are wearing a sweater like they did in the 50s, so our arms are covered, but we went with a different shirt for the second outfit, because we know you're not a huge fan of your cast and probably would want to cover up as much of it as possible," she explained.

"Definitely," Rachel nodded, glancing at her jacket that was bunched up above her cast because she didn't want the arm to stretch too much by being around the bulky item, "I can't wait to get it off. Hopefully by the end of the month."

"That's great," Tina smiled, "it'll be gone by Nationals."

"Yes, thank goodness," Rachel laughed lightly dropping her bag next to Noah's in one of the chairs in the front row of the theater.

...

The friends continued to talk and the closer to ten it got, the more of the members arrived until they were all there. Will had been in and out and Ms. Pillsbury had also joined them that day, wanting to get familiar with their dances, since she'd be one of their chaperones on the trip.

Once the teens had stretched and were gathered on the stage, Will wanted to talk to them about Regionals briefly, before they started, so after he had their attention, he started, "by this time next week we should be almost to Detroit. I know we haven't talked too much about how Regionals is going to be different than Sectionals, but I thought since we had time today, I'd explain," he admitted. "I know some of you have asked me why we need two costumes and all of that."

"We have two performances, right?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, on two different days. I know at Sectionals we did three songs all at once and we were competing against two other schools. Now, all the schools like us, who won their Sectionals in the Eastern Region of the US will be competing in Detroit. Regionals actually starts on Friday, but since we're not performing until Saturday afternoon, that's why we're not leaving until that morning. Then we're going to do 'Beautiful' and 'You're The One That I Want' for the judges. Every school is doing the same thing, their ballad and one other song. We're scored and the top fifteen schools will go on to the second round, which will be Sunday, performing their final song, for us 'My Life Would Suck Without You'. The scores from that round, along with the previous round added together will place us and by Sunday evening we'll know the top five schools who will represent the Eastern US Region at Nationals. I don't know where it is this year, though. We won't find out until Sunday."

"So are we coming home Sunday night or Monday? Because Sunday is Valentine's Day and we don't have school Monday, so I'd at least like to spend some of the weekend alone with my boyfriend," Quinn commented.

Finn blushed a little, but all of the couples understood what she was asking, "I know," Will nodded, "and I guess that's up to you guys. If we make it to the second round and we find out Sunday night if we go on to Nationals, we have two options. We could drive home after the announcement that night and get home really late, or we could get an early start Monday morning and be home that afternoon."

"I'm just gonna throw this out there... My family, Rachel, her dads and I are going up Friday night and coming back on Monday," Noah said, "given what happened at Sectionals, we're going up so I can be there and we can make sure things are settled with security for all of us," he added. "I know it'd be more fun if we all went together, but since it's out in the open that I'll be there, unfortunately I can't right now."

"We are?" Rachel turned to look at him, "when were you going to tell me?" She wondered with a laugh.

"My dad's gonna to talk to your dads today, to confirm, but they've already talked about it a little bit, ever since dad and Mr. Schue found out what day we'd be performing," Noah said, "sorry. I wasn't completely sure until this morning, when you were in the shower."

"Oh, alright," Rachel shrugged, "I guess it doesn't matter to me. As long as I'm with you," she smiled.

"That's understandable, Noah," Finn commented, "we are all staying at the same hotel, right?"

"Yes," Will nodded, "we are."

...

Realizing they had taken up quite a bit of practice time talking, they put their plan to a vote and most everyone agreed to leave early Monday morning, so Will settled with that and they got on to practice.

Starting out, Mercedes, Tina, Quinn, Brittany and Santana worked on 'Beautiful'. The four girls would join Mercedes on stage in the middle of the song to be her back-up and while Rachel had been gone, the five had come up with a simple routine to go along with it. They were more than willing to teach it to Rachel, but she'd seen them do the full routine on Thursday and insisted that she'd rather sit it out, since they'd already mastered it and Rachel was worried she wouldn't have time to pick up everything for it.

For the next little while, Rachel and the guys stood off to the sides of the stage, watching and cheering on the girls as they ran through the song a few times. Will and a few of the guys pointed out mistakes and the girls worked on fixing them on their next time through. Once they were able to do their full performance twice without any problems, Will congratulated them and suggested they move on.

Noah and Rachel's duet was up next, since it was also going to be for their first performance. It had a lot of partner dancing, but Rachel was thankful she only had to use her right hand for any hand holding or other things, so her cast didn't get in the way. Most of the teens were pretty familiar with the steps, because they had worked on them some, but everyone was still off beats at time and aside from Thursday, Rachel and Noah hadn't danced together in almost a month, so they agreed they'd have to take some time on their own to practice to relearn the other and get comfortable with the routines again.

Over and over again, the teens worked on the dance steps and slowly they began to get somewhere. They were far from perfect, but it was a start. After working for almost an hour on the same song, the teens were starting to need a break, which actually worked out because the handful of people who were joining them for Noah's party were starting to arrive; Carly first, followed by Rachel's dads and Finn's mom with the cake.

Will and Emma had set up a large table in front of the stage and Carole sat the cake on it and the guys headed outside to help David and Alan bring in the cases and bottles of soda that they had picked up for everyone. When everyone was back in the auditorium, sitting or standing on or near the stage, Carly handed over her signed permission slip to Will, confirming that her parents were alright with her going to Detroit and she'd be joining the club.

Everyone happily welcomed her to New Directions and as she and Rachel hugged, Arin skipped into the auditorium with a grin on her face. Noah noticed her enter, so he knew his parents were also there and was curious why she was grinning like she was, "Arin, what are you so happy about?" Noah asked simply as she walked towards him.

"It's a surprise," she said, "but you'll find out in a second."

"Uh, okay," Noah eyed her curiously and then glanced at the door as four people walked in, their parents and two others right behind them, Taylor and his dad Daniel. "No way! Seriously?" Noah gasped along with everyone else, "dude! What are you doing here?" He asked loud enough that Taylor could hear him.

"Dad and I were in the neighborhood and thought we'd stop by and celebrate my best friend's big Grammy win," Taylor replied as the four reached the table and piled the pizza boxes on it.

"Neighborhood? I thought you were doing press for your movie that's premiering on Monday," Noah said hoping he hadn't forgotten something he'd been told as he walked towards his friend.

The guys shook hands and gave each other a hug and as he pulled back Taylor shrugged, "well, I was doing press, in New York. Dad called your dad yesterday, because I knew I had the weekend free before the premiere, so we were gonna stop by and when Ethan told him about what you all were doing today, we decided to take an extended layover here in Ohio before heading back to California for the premiere," Taylor explained.

"Awesome. Thanks for coming," Noah smiled.

Taylor returned his smile, "I'm glad to be here," he said, waving at the others, "hey everyone."

"Hey Taylor," several of them responded, waving back at him or nodding towards him as they started to gather around the table to start getting pizza.

Turning a little, Taylor smiled at Rachel, "hey, Rachel. You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you," he admitted honestly, moving to wrap his arms around her in a hug.

Rachel gladly accepted his hug, "thanks. I feel a whole lot better since I saw you last, too," she replied when they pulled apart.

"Glad to hear it," he nodded, glancing at the girl standing next to Rachel, who had a shocked expression on her face and he figured she was surprised to see him, "hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Taylor," he commented, holding out his hand.

Carly blinked, but took his hand and shook it, "I'm Carly," she said, trying to keep her composure, "we, um, actually met when you were here in December for Noah's concert, but I'm sure you wouldn't remember; you met a lot of people that day."

"That's true, so unfortunately, I don't remember, but it's nice to finally meet you. I've actually heard a lot about you," he admitted, "all good I promise. It's nice to put a name to a face."

"Really? You have heard about me?" Carly asked surprised.

"He has," Noah nodded, "come on, we can talk and eat," he said, motioning to the pizza.

...

While Taylor had been talking to Noah, Rachel and Carly, the others had started to get pizza and find places to sit and stand around the area between the stage and the front row of seats. After getting a few slices on each of their plates, Noah moved up to sit next to Finn on the edge of the stage, their feet hanging over and Taylor sat next to Noah. Rachel and Quinn stood on the floor by their boyfriends and Carly was standing with them, the six of them talking together, while others around were sitting together doing the same thing.

The Glee Club and the adults there were all used to Taylor just randomly showing up, but Carly was the only one still shocked and a little starstruck. She had only met him at Noah's concert in December, because when he was in Ohio the month prior, he hadn't visited anyone except Noah and was gone before Carly and the Glee teens got to see Rachel once she was rescued. Slowly as conversations continued, the shock wore off and Carly was as comfortable with him as she was around everyone else and noticed that all of Noah's friends treated Taylor like just another one of the guys, just like Noah, which she was happy to see.

Biting into the first piece of pizza, Rachel had some memories flood back to her, but surrounded by friends, family and her boyfriend, she was quickly able to push them aside and enjoy the food for the first time in quite a while. Noah was really happy that she had tried and successfully managed to eat the slices she'd taken and even another slice, after the two went back to get more. He was glad to see she was past her issues with pizza.

"Another step in recovery," Noah commented happily, setting his plate on the stage, since he was now standing in front of it, and pressed a kiss to her lips, "great job."

"Thanks," Rachel blushed, "I know it may be small, but to me it was kind of a big deal."

"Everyone is different. Some things bother them that don't bother others. I'm just glad you didn't swear off pizza for good," he admitted, "because it's one of my favorite foods."

Rachel laughed lightly, but nodded, "I had a feeling it might be. I'm sure it's probably easier to order a pizza than cooking some nights when you're working a lot, huh?"

"It is," he nodded, slipping his arms around her, and giving her a quick hug. As he pulled back he noticed his mom walking towards them, "hey mom, what's up?"

"Are you done eating?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Everyone seems to be done or almost done with eating, so Carole and I would like to get a few pictures of you with the cake before we cut it and I thought you might want to say something before we do cut it," she explained.

"Oh, alright. Sounds good," he agreed, kissing his girlfriend's cheek before following his mom over to the table where the cake was.

...

The three-tiered cake was decorated with musical notes, a banner with 'Congratulations Noah' on the middle tier and on top sat three small and one large handmade and edible Grammy awards. Noah really liked it and for a few minutes, stood next to it so the two moms could get a few pictures of him with it, before he took off one of the smaller awards and bit off the top.

Everyone laughed at what he did and snapped a few of their own photos of him near his cake. Rachel, Taylor and Finn had moved up to be near him and were also taking pictures, Rachel with her camera, Taylor and Finn with their phones, while the other teens and adults started to gather around Noah. After a few moments, Finn and the guys started chanting 'speech', so Noah took the hint and thought about he wanted to say.

Turning so he was facing everyone, he draped his right arm around Rachel and kissed her forehead, before starting, "winning awards and being honored for something you've done feels amazing, especially knowing that fans all over the world, recognize my talent and enjoys my music. These Grammy awards mean even more because half of my album are songs that I wrote, some with dad's help," he motioned to him and then looked around, "some of you I've known for years and are my best friends, or brothers," he said, glancing at Finn and Taylor, "and most of you, I didn't get the pleasure of meeting until this year, but you all have become close friends to me, and even more," he smiled at Rachel, "it means the world to me that you all have accepted me and welcomed me into school, the club, and treat me just like any other kid born and raised here in Lima. I've always said I'm just a normal guy with a not-so-normal job and honestly, winning is amazing, but it's not everything. We've all had a rough few weeks, some more than others, and thankfully it's in the past and I know I appreciate you all being there for me, for us," he glanced at Rachel again, "and now that is all in the past and right now I'm really glad to be celebrating these awards with all of you. This is what is important to me; being here, with my friends and family, so thank you all for everything," he smiled, feeling tears in his eyes and looked around to see others wiping their eyes and didn't want everyone to start crying, so he decided to break the emotions by asking, "who wants to eat some cake?"

...

Lyrics mentioned above... I don't own the song, I'm just borrowing it...

Sara Bareilles - 'Love Song' - see the video on YouTube - ( youtube . com / watch?v = qi7Yh16dA0w&ob = av2e )

I'm borrowing the underlined quote from Buddy Valastro... If any of you have watched TLC's 'Cake Boss', you'll be familiar with the quote. If not, the show itself is a reality show on TLC following Buddy Valastro, the 'boss' of his family's bakery 'Carlo's Bakery' in New Jersey and his family who all work at the bakery. Each week, they make immaculate cakes for clients from simple to huge, showing the process from initial interview with the client to delivery, along with all of the other bakery items they make. When they deliver the cake, Buddy usually talks with the client to get their reaction and then his 'tag line' or 'quote' that he usually ends his 'speech' with is 'who wants to eat some cake?', so I couldn't help throwing this in! (see info on Wikipedia - (en . wikipedia . org/ wiki/ Cake_Boss ))

...

A/N4: It's been a while, but I hope you like it! Please review and let me know! I'm not getting many reviews... This took me about a week to write this chapter and I literally just finished it a few hours ago and wanted to get this to you all. I've been sick and finally am feeling better. See my two 'helps' for some dilemmas I have. To everyone who has reviewed recently, I love you all! Thank you and I'm so sorry I haven't responded to all of them. I'm trying to get through them. FF's new way of replying is quite confusing. I don't want to spam people with multiple review replies.

Also, **GleekyCaliGirl**... I can't seem to find you on FF, so I'm not sure how to get in touch with you. I got your review and offer in 'Returning Home' and would like to talk to you! If you are them or know them, could you PM me here or I'm on Twitter / Tumblr as EJ8302 or SapphiresFic on LJ...

**Help1:** I'm so torn on what to do, you guys! I brought this up on Tumblr, and I got one response... 'Starlight' and 'Out of the Blue' are far from being done, and I also have 2 other WIPs, 'Broken Road' and 'Returning Home', that are close to being done. I've thought about and am wondering if you guys would be okay if I continued updating Starlight, Out of the Blue and one of those, about once a month, like I have been and then turning my focus onto one of the two that are close to being done and write/post about weekly to finish it... I'm finding having 4 WIPs is very hard, so would you guys be okay with that? One person said they'd like the idea, because that way they have a complete story to reread, rather than an update every few weeks to a month... Thoughts?

**Help2:** To go along with up above. I have 2 unposted WIPs. They are AUs and I've been working on them for over a year. Each of them have at least a prologue and 7 chapters written. One of them has 8 chapters, but I've been holding off on posting them because 4 posted WIPs is already a lot... Here's my dilemma. Next week, on Tumblr is 'Puckleberry Week'. Each day from 4/23 to 4/29 are theme days, we can write, draw, create a playlist, do something based on the theme and Puckleberry and post it for that day... (if any of you are curious about it, let me know)... Anyway, one of the days is for AUs, so I was thinking about working on/fixing up one of my unposted WIPs and posting the prologue and chapter 1 for the 'AU' day, but if I did that, it would be quite a while before I updated again and I don't know if you guys would be alright with that... Thoughts?

...


	45. Chapter 45

Title: Starlight, Chapter 45

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Noah's speech was definitely a happy tearjerker, but his quick change of 'subject' helped brake up the tension and move things along. His cake was cut and passed out to everyone and they found seats again to enjoy their dessert before needing to get back to work. Some of them came up to Noah and congratulated him again on his awards, even though they'd already done it, but he appreciated hearing their words again.

Rachel and Noah couldn't help feeding each other cake and a few people joked that they were 'practicing' for their future. Noah happily replied with, "of course we are. Practice makes perfect, right?" Noah's response was a shock to some, but their close friends and family were not surprised. They all knew about the bracelets Noah had purchased for them now and also could see that the young couple loved each other and marriage was definitely in their future; a few years down the road at least.

Once the large group had their fill of lunch, the adults started to help clean up, while New Directions returned to the stage to continue their practice. All of the new arrivals were asked to keep quite about their song choices. The last thing the club wanted was for their set list to get 'leaked' like it had at Sectionals, because they didn't have any back-ups.

The club started to work on 'My Life Would Suck Without You', with Tina and Rachel as their leads. This time there was not as much partner dancing and again, Rachel was thankful her cast didn't cause her any problems with the routine. The teens seemed to be a bit more comfortable and sure about this song and dance, and no one was really sure if it was because there was less partner dancing or if it had more to do with it not being a song originally done by one of the Regionals judges.

For the first little while of practice, the adults and others there who weren't practicing, helped clean up all the food, but once that was done, they settled into seats to be an audience. Even though they were only watching a practice, they cheered them on and Ethan and a few others noticed things that Will hadn't, while being on stage with the teens, so everyone was glad for the feedback and additional pointers. It also helped to have Taylor there. He wasn't a singer, but he still was a celebrity, so it helped all of them shake some of their nerves about performing in front of Josh and Olivia at Regionals.

After fixing some of the things that had been pointed out, Will suggested they run through each of their numbers a few more times, before calling it a day. It was about two-thirty and he didn't want them pushing too hard on each song. With the progress they'd made that day and with a whole week still left to practice, he was confident they'd do well, without working the entire day.

Liking Will's suggestion, the girls, minus Rachel, went through 'Beautiful' a few times, fixing some things their audience noticed. Moving on to 'You're The One That I Want', again, they had a few things pointed out to them to fix and then moved on to their last song. They'd already gotten some feedback for it, so they went right through the song twice, before Will called an end to the day. Their 'audience' clapped for them, all wishing them luck at Regionals and assuring them with just a little more practice they'd be ready.

Noah noticed that even though Rachel was getting the steps right, she was distracted during the last fifteen minutes of practice. Following her gaze, he'd found she was watching Taylor and Carly, who were sitting together, in the second row of seats, a little further away from the adults and his sister. They were talking, which wasn't a big deal, but then he realized they'd hardly taken their eyes off each other, so he knew they were having a conversation, unrelated to New Directions. During another glance a few minutes later, Noah noticed that Taylor now had his phone out and was pointing out things on his screen, so he figured he was showing her pictures. The two were definitely getting along, so he didn't think too much of it, but he had a feeling his girlfriend was keeping an eye on them because she was curious about what it meant.

"Noah, did you see them?" Rachel asked softly, standing close to him as everyone began to walk towards the edge of the stage.

"Yeah, it was hard not to realize what you were looking at," he murmured, "what's the big deal? I'm glad they're getting along. She is our friend and it's cool she's comfortable around him, you know?" He shrugged, keeping his voice low while they were still on stage.

"Oh, yes, that is very cool," Rachel nodded, "and I'm glad they're getting along, but aren't you curious just how _well_ they're getting along? Do you think they could be _more_ than 'just friends'?"

Confirming his suspicions, Noah smirked, "hold up. They just met, babe. Not everyone meets someone and starts dating on the first day," he winked at her.

Rachel blushed at his comment, knowing he was hinting at when they started dating, the same day they met, "yes, I know that, Noah," she sighed, "I guess I just thought it'd be neat, you know? One of your best friends and one of our friends and classmates."

Noah rested his hands on her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "it would definitely be neat. If something happens, it happens, just don't push it. As far as I know, he and the other Taylor still have feelings for each other," he added, "so I don't know. If you want, we can talk to him later and see, but I'm not playing matchmaker."

"Okay, fair enough," she smiled and leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Hey Rachel, can we borrow you for a minute?" Kurt asked, coming up to the couple with a costume bag's hanger hooked to his hand and Tina and Mercedes right with him.

"Uh, sure. What' up?" She wondered curiously.

"Before you keep your costumes, we want to make sure they fit you. We went with your sizes from last competition, so we just want to check and make sure we don't need to exchange them for another size," Tina explained.

"Oh, alright. The dressing rooms?" She wondered, motioning backstage.

"Yeah, Mr. Schuester said we could use them," Mercedes nodded.

"Okay," Rachel kissed her boyfriend again, before pulling away from him, "we'll be back."

Noah smiled at her and nodded, "I'll be here."

...

While the four friends headed backstage, Noah glanced around to see who was still there. The band and Artie, Santana and Brittany had already left, but all of the adults and his sister were still there, along with Finn, Quinn, Mike, Matt, Ryan, Taylor and Carly, who were gathered in a group talking.

"Hey, man, where'd Rachel go?" Taylor wondered as Noah joined them.

"To try on her costumes for Regionals. Kurt, Mercedes and Tina went with her," Noah explained, reaching for his bag and digging out one of the bottles of water he'd put in it that morning, "how long are you here for?" Noah asked, realizing he never mentioned it.

Taylor glanced at his watch, "dad and I have to be back on the road by six. Our flight leaves at about ten," he admitted. "We're not imposing on any of your plans are we? Your dad didn't think you guys were doing anything after practice today."

Noah shook his head as he took a swig of his water, "we didn't have any plans. Tomorrow, yes, today, no. We didn't know how long practice would go," Noah explained, "and you know you're welcome anytime."

"Thanks, bro," Taylor smiled, patting him on the back.

"What are you two doing tomorrow?" Finn asked, surprised he hadn't heard about anything.

"I'm taking Rachel out on a real date. Haven't taken her on one for a while," Noah admitted.

"That sounds like fun. Do you know where yet?" Quinn asked.

"No, not yet. We haven't really talked about it. We'll probably figure it out in the morning," he explained. "I'd thought of roller skating or ice skating, but given that she's got a cast on, I don't know if she'd think it would be a good idea. Also, not a good idea with Regionals coming up. We don't want to sprain an ankle or something."

"True. What about bowling? Her cast wouldn't get in the way of that," Finn suggested.

Noah bounced the idea back and forth in his mind, "yeah, we could. I'll talk to her about it. Thanks for the suggestion."

...

The teens and adults continued to talk for a short time, and when Rachel, Tina, Mercedes and Kurt rejoined them, Rachel confirmed everything fit and she was closer to being ready for Regionals. Now that things were taken care of, the group slowly started to disburse. Mike, who was staying to hang out with his friends, was also waiting for his sister, Tina, Mercedes had gotten a ride to school with Matt and Ryan was waiting for Kurt, who was his ride. The six of them said their goodbyes, after some more pictures were taken, leaving Rachel, Noah, Quinn, Finn, Carly, Taylor, Arin and the adults in the auditorium.

Gathering up their belongings, the teens joined the adults and Noah' sister and soon they were all moving outside. Will made sure they had their things and then locked up the auditorium and he and Emma soon left, leaving the rest of them in the parking lot.

"Carole, Finn, Quinn, Carly, would you guys like to come over to our house for a while?" Deborah asked, knowing the rest of them would be heading back to the Puckerman's. "We've got pizza for dinner and I figured I'd throw together some spaghetti and sauce, so you're welcome to join us."

Finn, Quinn and Carole were quick to say 'yes', but Carly was surprised, "really? You want me to come over?" She asked, unable to hide the blush growing on her cheeks.

Noah nodded, "of course. You're our friend, so you're welcome and I know you haven't been there before."

"Okay," she smiled at them, "that will be fun, but I've gotta ask my parents first."

"Then why don't you kids wait here and we'll start heading back. When you call your parents, you can follow Noah out there," Ethan suggested.

"Sounds great," Carly agreed, glancing at Noah who nodded.

...

While Carly made a phone call, Noah's parents and his sister, Rachel's dads, Finn's mom and Taylor's dad piled into their cars and started their trip to the Puckerman's house. Taylor could have gone with his dad, but he opted to hang out with Noah and the others, planning to ride back with Noah and Rachel.

It couldn't have worked out any more perfect for Rachel's idea. She wanted to talk to Taylor and now that he was returning with her and Noah, they'd be able to talk to him, without anyone else around. She tried to hide the grin on her face when Taylor said he'd 'catch a ride back with Noah and Rachel' to his dad, but Noah saw it and knew why she was grinning.

Laughing lightly at his girlfriend, he slipped his free arm around her shoulders, "take it easy," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She nodded, settling against him for a moment and then the two pulled apart when Carly rejoined them and said she could go over to his place. The teens spoke briefly and then headed to their cars, climbing in and getting ready to go. Noah led, with Carly behind him and Finn and Quinn in his car behind Carly, that way if Noah got too far ahead or they got split up, Finn could continue to show her the way.

Before they were even out of the parking lot of McKinley, Rachel was already antsy to talk to Taylor and as much as Noah didn't want to jump into the conversation the second they got into the car, he had a feeling she wouldn't be able to hold it in too much longer. "So, how are you doing with the split-up? Are you and Taylor still talking about getting back together? What's going on with that?" Noah asked curiously, wanting to be the one to bring it up first.

Taylor raised a curious eyebrow at the question, "I'm okay with it," he shrugged, "it was mutual. We had good reasons for breaking up and yeah, we did talk about one day getting back together, but I don't think we'll ever be a couple again. We thought we loved each other, and I'm not denying we don't have feelings for each other, but we've talked a few times since we split up and I realized I don't have the same feelings that I did when we were together. She's a great person and I do like her, but only as a friend. Why do you ask?"

Noah and Rachel exchanged glances and then Noah smirked, "I started the conversation, babe, but if you wanna know, you gotta bring it up," he told her.

Rachel blushed, but shifted in her seat, "we were curious."

"Why do I get the feeling this is an intervention?" Taylor laughed lightly.

"No, it's not. Sorry, we're not ganging up on you or anything," she assured him, "but we happened to notice that while we were practicing, you and Carly seemed to have a nice conversation going on. I know you guys just met, but we could tell you seemed to get along well and we were just wondering," she blushed when Noah cleared his throat, "okay, I was wondering and I think Noah kinda is, too. What do you think of her?"

"She seems like a great girl," he started out, "and she's beautiful, but if you're wanting to know what I think about her as a girlfriend, I don't know. It would definitely involve a lot more talking to see if there's a spark and if we'd be up for it. Unfortunately, getting involved with someone who doesn't live in the same town as I do is an issue. I don't know if a long distance relationship would be possible, but it could be," he explained honestly.

"Oh," Rachel thought for a moment, "I don't think I quite factored in the long distance part. That would make it difficult, but then that would give you a reason to come back here more often," she added with a grin.

Taylor smiled, "yes, I suppose it would," he sat back a little in his seat, "she may not be interested in me as more than friends, though," he added, "I'll see if she wants to keep in touch. If she does, we'll exchange numbers and see what happens."

Briefly thinking about mentioning some things she knew about Carly, she decided not to overwhelm him and realized she'd done what she wanted: give him the idea, so she mentally agreed to let him take it from there, "okay, fair enough."

...

Letting the conversation settle, it wasn't long before Noah's SUV and Carly and Finn's cars were pulling through the gate at the Puckerman's house. Noah pulled into the garage and Carly and Finn stopped along the edge of the driveway, so they weren't blocking anyone and then the teens climbed out and went into the house through the garage.

"Don't be nervous," Rachel said, slipping her good arm around Carly's shoulders, seeing the teen's tense body language.

"I'm trying not to be, but this is a big deal. I mean, I usually am nervous when I go to a friends house for the first time anyway and for the longest time I only knew Noah as 'Puck'. I'm still having a hard time believing that I've become friends with you all," Carly blushed.

"Believe it," Noah smirked, "because you have. Just promise me you won't try to steal anything and post it on eBay as 'Puck' stuff," he teased.

She could tell he was just teasing her, so she laughed lightly and nodded, "I promise."

...

Once Noah broke the ice, Carly relaxed and all the teens, after saying 'hi' to the adults, headed downstairs to kick back. It was just after three-thirty and Taylor and his dad had to leave the earliest, in a little over two hours.

There were three small couches downstairs, so the couples each took their own, leaving Taylor and Carly to share the last one. Noah couldn't help but laugh inwardly at how it worked out and Rachel was loving the chance to see Taylor and Carly sit next to each other and interact again.

For the next hour, the six of them talked about whatever came up. From movies they'd seen recently, to things they'd been doing, hobbies they got into, Regionals, relationships, award shows coming up, Monday's premiere for the movie Taylor was in that would be coming out the following week and Quinn was the one to ask Taylor about his relationship with Taylor Swift.

Taylor responded to her question just like he had with Rachel and Noah and Quinn understood. Quinn admitted she'd heard rumors they'd get together for the premiere, but he quickly assured her they wouldn't and part of him couldn't help looking at Carly to see her reaction. Ever since Rachel had brought up the idea of him and Carly dating, he actually had been thinking about it, so he partially wanted to clear the air and let her know he wasn't interested in getting back with his ex. He also found several things she'd mentioned that day that he did like or shared in common with her, between interests and opinions, so he could see the possibility of them continuing to get along and maybe find a relationship together.

Rachel could tell that Carly kept looking at Taylor; she wasn't sure if it was because she was trying to assure herself that he was really there, that she was sitting next to him or for something more. Now that she'd talked to Taylor, she wanted to talk to Carly, too, but knew she'd have to wait until later to do that.

Sitting around downstairs, Taylor decided to take the next step, "hey Carly, would you be interested in exchanging numbers? I already have theirs," he motioned around to the other four, "but I don't have your number and I thought we could keep in touch once I leave."

Carly gasped in shock, "really? You want to?" She couldn't help the blush return to her cheeks at his question.

"Yeah, I do. I'm sure you have Noah's number and I think I can trust you with mine, right?" He asked and when she nodded, he continued, "so, I'd like to," he said, pulling out his phone.

"That would be awesome," Carly smiled, pulling her own phone from her pocket.

Rachel grinned brightly as the two exchanged numbers, both taking a picture of each other to put with their number. Quinn noticed Rachel's smile and reached over, silently patting her arm and raised a curious eyebrow at her. Rachel waved at her, "later," she replied in a whisper.

Quinn accepted her response and smirked, wondering what Rachel was up to, but before anything could be asked, Noah's sister joined them to say that dinner was ready, so they all headed upstairs.

...

Having dinner, of pizza from lunch, salad and pasta with sauce, the teens and adults gathered around the dinning room table or the island in the kitchen to eat. They talked over their meal and enjoyed the time to just relax, but time was going by too fast, because just after everything was cleaned up, Taylor and his dad needed to get going. Sharing hugs with everyone and getting some last minute pictures together, soon Taylor and his dad were climbing in their car and starting their trip back to the airport.

Getting back inside, Quinn looked at Rachel, "okay, so what was with that grin earlier?"

"What grin?" Carly asked, not remembering what she was talking about.

Noah rolled his eyes and laughed lightly, "Carly you may wanna sit down for that answer."

The redhead turned to look at him, "why?"

Quinn's eyes widened when she realized what it had been for, but before she hold herself back, she exclaimed, "are you trying to set Taylor up with Carly?" Her hands flew to her mouth, blushing when she saw Carly's mouth fall open in shock, "sorry, I shouldn't have said that out loud."

Carly blinked her eyes and looked at Rachel, then Noah, "are you.. Were you... Is he... Does he... I think I need to sit down," she muttered, taking a seat on the steps nearby.

Rachel quickly moved to sit next to her and rested her good hand on her shoulder, "I wanted to talk to you about it. We've never talked much about guys, in that way, and I'm not even sure you're interested in him like that, but you two seemed to be getting along really well today. It was something I wanted to ask you; to see if you're interested and from what Taylor says he has no interest in getting back with Taylor Swift, so you know he's single."

It took a few moments for Carly to calm down and she glanced at Rachel, "I'm," she blushed, unsure how to say what she wanted, "sorry this isn't easy to explain, because I don't want you to think I'm only getting to know you guys because of your celebrity status," she admitted looking at Noah.

"I know that. We wouldn't have invited you into the privacy of our home if we didn't trust that you wanted to get to know me, or us, for real and not just because of 'Puck'," he told her honestly.

"Thanks," she smiled, "um, well, most fans, at some point, dream about or wish they could date their favorite celebrity, you know? But the chances that it would ever happen is very small, so to be faced with even a chance... That's more why I'm shocked, though, I can't believe he'd be interested in me, like that, with all the other girls he knows."

"Because you're not trying to get his money or his fame. You'd like him and want to be with him for him and not just because he's the guy who plays Jacob in the Twilight series. Just like Rachel loves me as Noah, not just because I'm 'Puck', international pop star," Noah explained.

Carly smiled and nodded, "you're right. I guess I didn't think about it that way. He is just a normal guy, like you, and what have you said before? You're just a normal guy with a not-so-ordinary job?"

"Close enough," Noah replied with a grin, "you get the point."

"Yeah," she bit her lip, "do you think he'd even be interested? He seemed friendly, but we were all talking, so I couldn't really tell."

"I think he would be. You just need to keep in touch with him and get to know each other. You never know what will happen," Noah replied.

"But what about the distance? That's a big issue, isn't it?" She blushed, "I can't believe I'm even discussing this."

"Why? Because you're serious about dating him or because it's not something you expected?" Rachel wondered.

"Both, actually," she took a deep breath.

"Taylor's been here at least once a month for the past few months, and if he had another reason to come here, besides just seeing one of his best friends, he might visit more often," Noah explained with a shrug, "I don't know, but you've always got his number."

"That is true," she agreed, jumping a little when her phone began to ring in her pocket, "sorry," she pulled out the ringing device and saw it was her older brother, so she answered it, "yeah, Colton?" She listened for a few moments, "I'm over at a friend's house. It's gonna take me like a half an hour to get home... Yes, they know where I am... Well, don't go anywhere until I get home... Yeah about that... See ya," she huffed and hung up her phone, "well, I guess I get to go home and babysit," she sighed, "I should have known when my mom said she and dad were going out tonight that he'd do this."

"Well, there's plenty of other times to hang out and you've always got next weekend free from the family," Noah commented with a smile.

Carly smiled, "yeah, I can't wait for the break."

...

Thanking them and saying 'goodbye' to Noah's family and the other adults that were there, Rachel, Quinn, Finn and Noah walked Carly outside. She assured them she remembered how to get back to town and after a brief conversation, she climbed into her car and started her trip home.

Moving back into the house and returning downstairs, the four teens sat back down and Quinn looked at Rachel, unable to hold back the blush on her cheeks, "I feel bad. I didn't mean to put her on the spot like that."

"It's okay. If you hadn't, I would have brought it up," Rachel admitted honestly, "do you think Taylor and Carly would make a cute couple?"

"Yeah, I think so. I don't know Taylor as well as you guys do, but they seemed to get along," Quinn replied.

"I think they would," Finn added, "I've known Taylor a while and I think he and Carly would be good together, if they can deal with the distance."

"They're both good people and deserve to be happy. Maybe they can make each other happy. The distance is gonna be tough, but I think they can work it out. Like I said earlier, if he has another reason to come visit, besides just seeing me, I think he would. It all depends on his schedule," Noah explained, slipping his arm around Rachel's shoulders.

Rachel settled against him and relaxed, as a thought came to her, "well, we've brought it up to both of them. I guess now all we have to do is see where they take it. They may stick with just being friends, or it could turn into more. We'll just have to wait and see."

Noah nodded, "we will."

...

Changing the subject, so they weren't talking about people who were no longer there, the teens turned on the TV and decided to watch a movie. Quinn had seen the DVD case on the table of the movie that Rachel and Noah had started watching before, and since Noah couldn't remember any it, they all kicked back to watch it.

Now that Noah wasn't focused on a bunch of other things, he was able to watch the movie and was enjoying it. About halfway through the movie, Ethan came down to let them know that Carole and Rachel's dads would be leaving, so the group headed upstairs to say their goodbyes. They first said 'bye' to Carole, who made Finn and Quinn promise not to stay out 'too' late. Once they assured her they'd leave a little after the movie finished, Finn and Quinn walked her outside, while Rachel talked to her dads, "Noah is taking me out on a date tomorrow," she explained happily.

"Oh really? Where to?" Alan wondered curiously.

"We haven't talked about it, but I'd be up for almost anything," Noah replied, "whatever she'd like to do, but I do have a few ideas."

Rachel smiled, "we'll figure something out. We kind of thought about staying here tonight, then packing up and going out on our date. After that, we'd go to our house tomorrow evening to stay the night for school Monday morning. Would that be alright?" She asked, looking at them and then to Deborah and Ethan.

"You mean Noah staying over? We'd be alright with that," Deborah said honestly, getting a nod from Ethan in agreement, "as long as you guys are okay with it," she added, glancing at the other two dads.

"That's quite alright," David nodded, "as long as your homework is finished. You did say it was done, right?"

"Yes it is," Rachel assured them, "I finished it yesterday."

Alan smiled, "great! Then have fun on your date and we'll see you tomorrow evening. Are you going to have dinner at home or out somewhere?"

"Uh," Rachel glanced at Noah, "are we going to eat out?"

"I kind of thought we'd get up and have a late breakfast, so we could spend the afternoon hanging out somewhere and then have a late lunch or early dinner," Noah explained, "so we'll probably be out."

"That sounds like a great idea," Rachel nodded, "so then, no, we won't be home for dinner."

"Understandable. Have fun, be careful and call if you need anything," David said, wrapping his arms around Rachel and kissing her cheek.

Rachel returned his hug and smiled, "we will," she promised, pulling away to hug Alan, "I love you both. Goodnight."

"We love you, too. Goodnight, sweetheart, sleep well," Alan told her.

...

Once her dads were on their way home, Arin said 'goodnight' to everyone and headed to bed and the teens returned to the basement to finish watching the movie. It only took another forty-five minutes to finish and all of them agreed it was a great movie.

Even though they didn't want to, after the long practice they'd had that day and the drive they had back, Finn and Quinn finally got ready to leave, saying 'goodbye' to everyone and heading out to Finn's car. After they left, Rachel and Noah decided to get to bed themselves, so they said 'goodnight' to his parents and went up to his room. Changing into something to sleep in, the two crawled under the blankets and snuggled up together.

Noah's room was filled with silence for a few moments, as the two let the day settle into their minds. A lot had happened and they were looking forward to the next few weeks and months, to see how things played out, but for the moment, Noah let his ideas for their date come to him and decided to take Finn's suggestion, "what do you think about bowling?"

"Tomorrow?" She asked, glancing up at him and when he nodded, she smiled, "that sounds fun. I honestly have only been a few times, so you'll have to show me."

"I'll definitely be happy to show you," he grinned, "and how about Breadsticks afterward?"

Rachel nodded, "sounds like a date," she replied, kissing him, "I'm looking forward to it."

Noah held her close to him and nodded, kissing her once more, "me, too."

...

Even though they'd gone to bed earlier than normal, they stayed up talking lightly, relaxing from their day, before finally getting to sleep. They hoped they could sleep in, but from their school schedule, both were awake just after seven, without an alarm to wake them.

"Maybe we should get up," Rachel suggested, not fully awake, but enough to think clearly.

"I'd rather stay in bed a little longer," Noah murmured, settling in again and holding her close, "let's go back to sleep."

Part of her wanted to turn him down, but the warmth, comfort and security she felt being in his arms changed her mind quickly. Tugging the blankets a little further up over them, she smiled, "okay, just a few more hours though," she replied softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Awesome," he grinned, his eyes already closed and almost back to sleep.

Rachel watched him for a moment, but then let her self drift off to sleep, "very awesome."

...

When daylight filtered into his room enough to touch his bed, Noah slowly woke up and glanced at the clock, "nice," he smirked, seeing it was almost ten in the morning, "now this is sleeping in," he commented, looking at the mass of brunette hair against his chest and reached up, brushing some of it away so he could see her face.

Rachel was still asleep, but the gentle touches against her face woke her, her eyes fluttering open, "morning Noah."

"Morning, Rach," he replied, his hand gently resting on her cheek, "how did you sleep?"

"Excellent," she admitted with a smile, slowly waking up to focus on everything, "what time is it?"

"Ten to ten," he said, motioning to the clock, "definitely what I call sleeping in."

"I never slept in until I met you," she smirked, settling against him, as her body continued to wake up.

"Oh really?" Noah grinned and rubbed her back gently, "what are you trying to say? I'm a bad influence?" He teased.

"Never," she shook her head, "just making a statement. You're actually a good influence on me. You're helping me realize that my dreams are important, but I still need to 'stop and smell the roses' sometimes, too," she explained, "that it's okay to be a kid and we should enjoy our teenage and high school lives while we can, because we won't have them for long," she paused, her mind gathering some thoughts, "and after what happened to me, I've also realized that I need to start living life by spending each day with the people I love and not always focus on work or my dreams; because you never know when someone you love could be taken from you, like I was taken," she whispered.

"Oh baby," he held her close and kissed her forehead, "those are all very important things and I'm glad I've helped you learn some of them, even though I feel horrible we had to learn the last one the hard way... It's one thing to know it, but to live through it," he shook his head, "I don't ever want to go through that again," he said honestly, "and I don't mind that you brought all this up, but did you have a bad dream?" He asked softly, worried that's why she was discussing it.

"Yeah," she nodded, biting her lip, "well, it wasn't necessarily 'bad'. This time I was the Broadway star that I always wanted to be, but that's all I had. I didn't have you or our friends or anything," she admitted, "it was an eye-opener."

Noah nodded in understanding, "yeah, but I promise it's just a dream. You're gonna be up on that stage and all of us, our friends, our family and I will be there as often as we can."

Leaning in, Rachel pressed a kiss to his lips, as her good hand rested on his cheek, "I know and thank you. The same goes for you. We'll all be at as many concerts and events that we can be."

"Thank you, babe," he smiled, "that's definitely good to know," he paused, "how about we get up and get ready to go on our date?" He suggested, trying to pull them from an emotional conversation.

Rachel smiled and nodded happily, "that sounds like a wonderful idea."

...

Reluctantly getting out of bed, Noah let Rachel shower first and while she was using the bathroom, he packed a bag for the next few nights of clothes and things he'd need and then set it aside and made his bed, keeping busy until she returned.

"Damn, take all the fun out of seeing you in a towel," Noah pouted, seeing she'd taken some clothes to put on in the bathroom.

Rachel laughed lightly, "well I don't want to be running down the hallway wrapped in a towel," she admitted, "and it let's your imagination work," she added with a wink.

"Oh yes it does," he nodded, walking towards her and pressing a kiss to her lips.

Returning his kiss, Rachel smiled, "I'm glad. Now go shower so we can have breakfast and go. I'm excited," she admitted.

Noah nodded and after kissing her once more, he nodded, "me, too."

...

Finishing getting dressed and packing up her things while Noah was in the shower, Rachel was just pulling her hair back in a loose pony tail when Noah returned. After he got dressed and they gathered up their things, they headed downstairs just after eleven in the morning.

Deborah and Ethan were surprised they'd slept as long as they had, but agreed it was a weekend and a day they should be able to sleep late, which is why they didn't try to wake them up. Noah and Rachel appreciated that and gathered up some things to have a simple breakfast, like cereal and fruit, to keep from having to make anything.

Over breakfast, the couple talked to his parents about several things, including their plans for their date and the adults thought it was a great idea. When the teens finished eating, Noah took his bags to SUV, and then he returned to the house, where he and Rachel promised his parents they'd have fun, they'd be careful and to keep in touch to let them know what they were up to. The teens were happy to promise that and soon were climbing into Noah's SUV and heading out for their date a little after noon.

On their trip into town, the two chatted lightly and both were very excited, since it had been quite a while since they'd gone out. When they'd first gotten together, Lima was still getting used to him being home, so he didn't go out a lot and they spent all their time at each other's homes or at school. Then when they got to go to California, they had some time out, but his dad and bodyguards were there, so they weren't completely alone. Getting back to Lima, they continued spending most of their time at home together until they went to New York. There they had a little more freedom, but still were around others and after the New Year, with everything that had happened, going out hadn't been an option.

Now, Lima was finally settling down with him being there and he could go out without being bombarded by people asking for photos and autographs. Rachel had recovered enough from her ordeal to where she could go out and enjoy herself, so it was definitely time for them to get out and go on a real date.

Arriving at the bowling alley a little after twelve-thirty, they found it wasn't very busy yet and after paying for two games and getting their shoes, they headed down to the lane they had been given, changed shoes and went to get a ball. Once they returned, Noah put their names into the computer and soon they were ready to bowl.

Rachel knew the basic idea of the game, roll the ball down the alley to knock down the pins, but she wanted to watch him first, so she'd made him put his name at the top, so he was up first. "Are you going to keep your hat on?" She asked, having a good idea why he had his OSU baseball cap on.

"Yeah," he nodded as he got up to take his turn, "less chance of being recognized. Is that okay? I know I don't wear one often, but I just thought it'd be easier."

"It's okay. I don't mind, but," she stood up and nudged the bill up a little, so it wasn't pulled down so far, "at least let me see your eyes," she smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips.

Noah grinned, "fair enough."

"Now, go bowl. Show me how it's done," she winked, motioning to the alley.

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled, nodding at her.

...

Getting a strike on his first turn, Rachel briefly got a little intimidated, but Noah promised it was just a lucky shot and told her not to worry, because they weren't competing; they were there to have fun. She agreed and went up for her first turn and Noah helped her get into the right position and then stepped back and watched her step up and roll the ball down the wooden floor. It only knocked down four pins, but she way happy for at least that, because she fully expected it to go into the gutter and thanked him for the pointers.

Noah helped her through the rest of her turn and the two fell into an easy rhythm through the rest of the game. Noah would take his turns and for Rachel's next few frames he helped her out, but by the middle of the game she was trying on her own and doing pretty well for really her first time at it. Noah had gotten a lot of spares, but no more strikes, so Rachel teased him about doing that only so he wasn't showing off and he assured her, he wasn't.

It took about an hour to get through their first game, laughing, joking and teasing the other, but it was all in fun. The couple was really enjoying the time together and they moved onto their second game. Rachel was quickly getting the hang of what to do and as she got to her eighth frame, she did what she been doing, and rolled the ball down the alley and Noah watched from near the ball return. It continued on and as it hit the middle pin, all ten of them collapsed, giving her her first strike.

"Congratulations, baby!" Noah grinned, clapping for her as he walked up to her.

Rachel turned and threw her good arm around him, "that's so awesome! Thank you for showing me everything," she said happily.

"You're welcome. I'm happy to help," he assured her, pressing a kiss to her lips as they started to pull away.

"You're amazing," she told him with a smile.

"So are you," he replied, "and I think we should finish up here and go celebrate."

"I think that's a great idea," she nodded, smiling at him.

...

Finishing up the last few frames of their second game, both managed a few more spares and Noah was trying for at least one more strike, but the closest he got was a spare. He ended up winning both games, from scores, but neither really cared about them. They both were glad to get out of the house for a chance to have some fun and both enjoyed the time out.

The alley was a lot busier than it had been when they first arrived. Since it was a weekend and a very popular hangout for the kids their age, they weren't surprised to see classmates now there when they went to return their shoes. The couple shared waves with some familiar faces and then moved out of the building.

Noah noticed Rachel had an extra bounce in her step as they walked, something he hadn't seen for quite some time, "you're definitely getting back to being your old self. I'm glad," he said honestly, opening the passenger door for her when they reached his SUV.

"Me, too! I've had an awesome day and I'm feeling more like myself than I have recently. This was such a great idea," she said before he shut the door.

Moving around to his driver's seat, Noah climbed in and then leaned over, pressing a kiss to her lips, "it was. I really love spending time with you."

"I feel the same way," she agreed, smiling at him when he pulled back from their kiss.

"Breadsticks?" He wondered, starting the engine and getting ready to leave.

"Yeah, that sounds good," she nodded, settling back in her seat, "and maybe after we can go get frozen yogurt for dessert?"

Noah glanced at her, "if you want to, we can definitely do that."

...

They got to Breadsticks between the lunch and dinner rush, so again, they lucked out and it wasn't too busy. After the experience they'd had so far, he was definitely looking forward to getting out more with her and not spending all of their time at their homes and maybe try double-dating with Finn and Quinn, once and a while.

While waiting for their food and even when it arrived, like they had been all day, they talked and he brought up double-dating with Finn and Quinn and Rachel really liked that idea, "you know, I was thinking about something. Would you like to do something for Valentine's Day in Detroit or wait until we get home?" Noah wondered, "it is next weekend."

"I don't know," she admitted, "I've never been there before, so I'd like to do some sight-seeing, but maybe we could wait until we get home to have our special night. We'll be with all our friends and family and you'll have your bodyguards and I don't think we'd be able to have our own time, specifically," she explained, "would that be alright?"

"Sight-seeing and Valentine's Day at home? Yeah, totally," Noah nodded, "I've only been to Detroit a few times myself, but it's been for a concert and didn't have a lot of time to do a lot of sight-seeing, so maybe this time we can. Valentine's day at home, that works for me. I just wanted to know. I'll save your gift until we get home, then."

Rachel blushed, "you don't have to get me anything. You've already given me so many amazing gifts," she admitted, holding up her wrist with their bracelet wrapped around it.

"I know I don't _have_ to, but I want to," he smiled, reaching over and taking her hand in his, "because you deserve it."

Continuing to blush, she smiled, "thank you, Noah."

...

When they were done with their meal, Noah paid and they were soon on their way to the local frozen yogurt shop. They decided to get it and then drive over to a local park to relax in the car to eat it and after they'd gotten their items and were heading towards the door, it was the first time all day he'd been approached by fans.

One of their classmates from McKinley stopped them before they left and asked if he would be up to meeting her sister and her sister's two friends who were all in middle school. Noah and Rachel happily went over to their table, shook hands and greeted the girls and Noah posed for pictures with them. After each girl got her own picture, Rachel offered to take one of all four girls with him and their classmate appreciated the offer. Once the pictures were taken, the girls all thanked Noah and Rachel and their classmate added she'd see them at school the next day.

Saying 'goodbye' to the four, Noah waved at them and then the couple continued out to his SUV. Once inside, Noah glanced at Rachel, "sorry about that. I just really hate turning away fans."

Rachel shook her head, "no, don't worry about it. I don't mind, really," she assured him, "I like that you're willing to do that," she replied, "and they were nice about it. The girls asked, they didn't run up to you and beg for a picture."

"That's true," he agreed, "this is why I like being at home. Everyone is so nice and respectful. I'm not saying other places aren't, but I have had some not-so-good experiences in other places."

"That's understandable," Rachel replied, "when you're in those other places you're just 'Puck', too. Here you're both and everyone sees you more as Noah than they do as 'Puck'."

Noah grinned, starting the engine and backing out of the parking space. Once they were on their way to their next destination, he turned to her, "this is why I love you so much. You get it. You understand."

"I try and I'm glad you love that about me. I know some girls might get very territorial or jealous of all the additional attention their celebrity boyfriend gets, but I'm not gonna be one of them. Your fans are important to you, so they're important to me," she promised.

"Thank you, baby. That really means a lot. I also promise I'll do my best for them to not ruin our dates," he added.

"You're welcome and they won't... Well, maybe if there are a bunch of them and we're in a hurry to get some place, but I don't think it will ever get that bad, at least while we're here at home," she told him.

"I hope it doesn't," he replied, pulling into the parking lot of one of the parks in town and came to a stop in an area with a view of the small lake, "how's this?"

"Perfect," she smiled, removing her seatbelt and picking up her frozen yogurt from the cup holder, "just like this whole day has been."

Leaving the engine on so they could keep the heat going, he put it in park and made sure the break was on, then removed his seatbelt and shifted so he could look at her, "it has been a perfect day," he agreed, grabbing his own cup and holding it up to her, "to many more perfect dates together."

Rachel smiled and tapped her paper cup to his, "to many more," she nodded, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips, "I love you, Noah."

Noah reached out and rested his free hand on her cheek and smiled, "I love you, too, Rachel, always will."

...

A/N4: I really hope you all enjoyed! I'm sorry it's been two months since my last update. Please let me know how you feel about the fic. I'm not getting a lot of reviews and I'd love to know what you guys think! To those of you who have sent reviews for this fic and my others, I really appreciate it and when I feel better I'll be replying to all that I can.

A/N5: For those of you haven't heard, this might clear some things up for you... FF has been doing a lot of 'purging', by deleting fics that break their rules. I haven't had this happen to me yet, but I know of some authors who have had theirs taken down. A lot of authors (in all fandoms), even ones who haven't been touched by the purge, yet, have gotten fed up with all the FF changes and updates and are pulling their fiction down from FF and moving to other places. So in case you can't find your favorite fic or author, that's why you might not find them. Some authors on FF, like me, post their fics on LJ also, so you have always been able to read them on my LJ account 'sapphiresfic dot livejournal dot com'... I've recently gotten an account with AO3, 'Archive of Our Own'. It's a fan-run fan works website that allows a lot more than FF does. The site itself has been around for a long time, but it hasn't been as popular, but now with the FF changes, a lot of people are joining up or trying to get in. My account there is 'archiveofourown dot org slash users slash sapphireej'. Right now I don't have anything posted, but over time I'll begin to post my fics there... For now I'm going to keep doing what I have been. Posting on LJ and FF, but I wanted to let you know there is another place out there to read my fiction if you wanted to.

**MY HEALTH UPDATE** - Since I last updated this fic, something came up and I was thinking it was my gallbladder. In late-April / early-May, I started having some abdominal problems (worse than I've had before), so I finally went to see my doctor. She sent me for an ultrasound thinking it's my gallbladder, too. The ultrasound came back normal, so I was sent to a specialist. The specialist also agreed it's gallbladder and ordered another test to check. I got the results this past week and the test found abnormalities. My gallbladder doesn't empty the way it's supposed to, so it's time to get it out. My doctors referred me to a surgeon, who I saw Friday and we scheduled my surgery for Tuesday, tomorrow, June 12, to have my gallbladder removed... This has been making me feel cruddy the last few months and I've been able to keep up on some fics, but others are not getting updated as often, so I'm doing what I can. I hear the recovery from this surgery isn't too bad, but it's still gonna be a few days before I'm able to sit at my computer again. With the way I've updated things, my absence might not be noticed too much, but I just wanted to let you all know, in case you don't see any updates from me for a while. I will keep my Twitter and Tumblr updated through the recovery as much as I can - I'm EJ8302 on both of them, so you can find me there if you're curious... Thank you to all of you who have found out recently and have sent me well wishes and support. It really means a lot!

...


	46. Chapter 46

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Noah and Rachel's date came to an end when they left the park and returned to the Berry's house. Noah carried their bags inside and took them to her room while she went to greet her dads in the kitchen.

"You two are back early," David commented, slipping his arm around her waist to give her a hug, "everything okay?"

"It's wonderful!" She smiled, pressing a kiss to David's cheek and then did the same to Alan, "we had a late lunch and went to get frozen yogurt afterward. Ate it at the park and decided to come here after," she commented.

"Where's Noah?" Alan wondered, glancing around, surprised he didn't see him.

"He took our bags up to my room," she motioned upstairs.

"So I take it you had fun today?" David asked with a smile.

"We did! We went bowling before lunch. Noah won, but I think once I get my cast off I'll be asking for a rematch," she admitted, sliding onto one of the stools at the island where they were sitting.

"I think that could be arranged," Noah commented, entering the kitchen as he heard her tell her dads about their day, "hey guys."

"Hey, Noah," David waved at him, "I'm glad you had fun today. Any problems while you were out?"

"No," Rachel shook her head, "I felt more like myself than I have in a long time," she admitted honestly.

"That's very good to hear," Alan replied, "ready to go back to school?"

Rachel nodded, "I think I am, but I won't really know until I get there tomorrow."

Noah walked over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "you'll be okay. I'm around and you've got classes with at least one of our friends from Glee, so if you need to talk to someone, they're there," he said honestly.

"Yes, that's true," she agreed, taking a deep breath, "I should go gather my things to make sure I have everything to take back tomorrow."

"It wouldn't hurt. It'll be less you need to do in the morning," Alan nodded.

Turning to her boyfriend, she smiled, "want to hang out in my room while I do that? We can pop in a movie to watch, too," she suggested.

"Sounds great to me," Noah replied.

"We're going to run out for a little while to run a few errands after we finish eating. We'll let you know when we leave," David commented.

"Alright," Rachel nodded and stood up, moving to the fridge to grab a few bottles of water.

"I'll be up in a second," Noah told her as she started to walk towards the doorway.

Rachel paused, eyeing him curiously, "should I be worried?"

Noah shook his head, "no, I just want to ask them something and you can find out later."

"Alright," she nodded, moving out of the kitchen and heading upstairs.

"What's up, Noah?" David asked.

Waiting a few moments to be sure Rachel was in her room, Noah turned to look at them, "what would you think about Rachel getting an iPhone for Valentine's Day?" Noah asked softly, not wanting her to overhear anything.

"Wow," Alan commented, looking across at David, before turning back to Noah, "I'm hoping you've already asked your parents about this."

"Yes, I have. They're waiting to talk to you guys, but they seem cool with it," Noah slid onto the stool that Rachel had been sitting on, "Apple is one of my sponsors, so they give them to me for free as long as we pay the monthly bill. Mom, dad and I have them, and sometime this summer the next version is supposed to be coming out, but I thought if I got Rachel the one we have now, which is the current version, she could see if she likes it and when the new one comes out, we could upgrade. I thought, well, I hope you'll allow her to do some traveling this summer with me and it has a lot more in it than the phone she has now. I think it would allow her to stay more connected to every one here, if we're gone for long periods of time," he explained, rubbing his neck, "sorry. I don't want you guys to think I'm trying to show off or anything; I'm not at all. I just thought it's something she wouldn't get for herself, so it'd be a surprise and she would get a lot of use out of it."

"Relax, Noah," David said patting his shoulder, "we get it," he assured him.

"You do?" Noah sighed in relief when they nodded, "okay, um, cool," he smiled, "I've wanted to talk to you guys about this, but since her and I have been together a lot, it's hard to catch you. So what do you think?" He wondered hopeful.

"Personally, I don't see the draw to those fancy phones," Alan admitted with a laugh, "I'm perfectly content with one that makes calls, can send text messages and take some half way decent photos if I don't have a digital camera around, but she has mentioned wanting one in the past. It does make sense for travel, too, and we looked into it, but we're not on the same plan for it and since we'd only change hers, it was going to be a big hassle to sort everything out."

"That's what I figured," Noah nodded in understanding, "when I talked to mom and dad, dad checked into it and since we already have the right plan, it won't be that much more a month for us to have another line on ours, which is what we're offering," he told them, "she can move her number from your account to ours, which I know is a big deal, for many reasons, but Rachel and I are solid. We're both responsible and I know this is a good step for us as a couple... I guess what I'd like is your blessing to do this. I'm not asking for an answer now; you guys will need to talk to my dad about details and I'm sure you need to think about it, which I understand. I just hope you can let me know in a few days."

Alan and David exchanged glances, both having some concerns, "joining cell phones is a big step, Noah. Even if it is with your family, you and Rachel are only boyfriend and girlfriend. We agree you are both very responsible and have a solid relationship, but there is always a chance, even a small chance, that it could change. I'm sorry to ask, but have you thought about what would happen then?" David wondered.

Noah nodded, "mom and dad asked me the same thing and I get it, I do, but I love your daughter and I'm not letting her go. I know many high school relationships don't last and putting her on our family plan is a huge step, but it's actually dads plan, with me as a secondary person, because I can't have it in my name since I'm not eighteen," he knocked his knuckles on the wooden napkin holder on the island, "so, knock on wood, we don't need to worry about any breakups, but_ if_ something did happen between Rachel and I, I hope we, along with you guys and my dad, would be able to be civil enough to each other to switch her phone back to your account."

"Being a lawyer, I've seen my share of couples who have split up and one is left with a huge cell phone bill and it can turn into a big legal mess. This is a slightly different situation, but there are similarities and I'm glad you admit there's a chance something could happen between you two and that this is a huge deal for you two and all of us. We hope you two never have to deal with a break-up and we'll talk to your dad and get back to you in a few days," Alan promised and David nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Noah smiled, as he stood up, "I just need a few days to make calls to have it ready, but I'd like to at least tell her about it when we exchange gifts on Valentine's Day," he added, "well, I think we're doing it the day after."

"You'll have our answer by then," David assured him.

Noah smiled, "awesome. Thanks!"

...

Glad the conversation went as well as he hoped it would, Noah climbed the stairs and paused in Rachel's open door, finding her going through the bags she'd had at his place for a few days, "hey babe," he greeted as he stepped inside.

"Hey," she smiled, moving to her laundry basket with some dirty clothes, "did you talk to my dads?"

"Yes," he nodded, kicking his shoes off and taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"What about?" She wondered curiously.

Noah smirked, "all I'll say is that I've been meaning to ask them something since my parents and I got back from Cali. It involves a possible gift for you and I wanted to get their approval before I went for it."

Rachel gasped, "really?" She took a deep breath, pausing in the middle of her room, as a thought came to her, "it's not anything big like a car, right? Because you don't need to be spending that much money on me," she told him honestly.

"I think you may have watched a few too many movies," he smirked, standing up and moving to wrap his arms around her shoulders, "It's not a car; it's a lot smaller than that," he promised.

"Okay, good," she smiled, relaxing against his chest, "and I'm guessing I'm not getting any hints besides that, right?"

"Exactly," he nodded, kissing her gently on the lips, "you'll hopefully find out when we exchange gifts for Valentine's Day."

"What do you mean 'hopefully'?" She asked, lifting her head to look at him.

"I'm giving your dads some time to think on it. If they don't think it's a good idea, I'll put that aside and get you something else," he said honestly, "it's something I want their permission for."

"I see," she now was even more confused, "Noah, what is it?"

"I'm not telling. I'm sure once they talk about it they'll be okay with me doing this, so in a week you'll find out," he assured her.

"Alright," she sighed, pulling back a little, "I guess I'll have to wait and see."

"Yes you will," he nodded, guiding them back towards her bed, "so about that movie you were mentioning earlier," he added, deciding to change the subject.

"Oh yes," she blushed a little, "I was thinking of something we've seen before, so we could talk over it," she admitted.

"That sounds like a good idea," he nodded, "what do you have in mind?"

"I don't know, actually. I was thinking you could pick something," she replied.

"Alright. Are you thinking about a Broadway musical made into a movie, a Disney musical, a romance or something else?" He wondered, knowing she had a small collection of each in her room.

"Probably a romantic comedy or Disney musical. We've seen most that I have over there," she replied, motioning to the shelf where her DVDs were.

Noah nodded as she stepped away and he went to look through her movies. When he landed on '50 First Dates' a romantic comedy staring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, he decided to go with it. They'd watched it several times and both enjoyed it, so he put it in and found a seat on her bed, fluffing up her pillows and kicking back against them, "you are going to join me at some point, right?"

"Yes, in a few moments. I have most of school things in my bag, since I had taken it to your house, but there are still a few things I need to get in it. I can take care of the other stuff later, when I start packing for this weekend," Rachel admitted.

"We've got all week to do that," he replied, emptying out his pockets onto the bedside table near him. For a moment he watched her, organizing her school bag and got curious, "how do you feel about going back to school tomorrow?"

Rachel paused and looked up, "um, okay, I guess. I'm really ready to get back to normal. I won't really know how I'll do until I get there tomorrow, but after today and the time we've spent with our friends, along with being out a little, I'm hoping I do okay."

Noah nodded, "I hope you do, too. When I was at school, it definitely wasn't the same without you. I really missed you."

"I missed you, too," she smiled at him, "and I actually missed being at school. I want my life back, you know? I'm tired of being jumpy and feeling uneasy."

"I don't think that will go away over night, but I'm confident once you get back to school, it'll get better over time," he admitted.

"I'm hopeful of that, too," she agreed, zipping her bag up and setting it by the door, "I think that's it," she added, kicking her shoes off and moving to crawl onto the bed next to him, "thanks."

"For what?" He wondered, wrapping his arms around her as she settled against him.

"For being there for me, helping me out," she smiled, kissing him.

"No thanks needed," he said honestly, "I'll do anything I can to help out, no matter what."

Rachel smiled even brighter and settled against him, "I know you will."

...

For a short time, Noah and Rachel relaxed while watching the movie and her dads did go out to run some errands, leaving the young couple alone in the house. Pausing the movie about halfway through, they went downstairs to make some popcorn and returned to Rachel's room to finish '50 First Dates'.

Curled up on her bed under a light blanket, snacking on popcorn and finishing their movie, Rachel had several things on her mind. Deciding to see what he thought, she slid her right hand under his shirt, resting it on his warm skin, "Noah," she whispered.

"Yeah?" He replied softly, feeling her hand against his stomach and was a bit confused at what she was doing.

"I've been thinking," she commented, lifting her head from his chest and shifting slightly so she could kiss him, "about us. I've been wondering if you'd be interested in a little more exploring."

Noah's eyes widened at her suggestion and couldn't help his body reacting to her words, surprised at how it'd come up, "I've thought about it. Are you sure?"

"Yes," she nodded, "I'm not ready to go all the way yet, but when we do, I want us to be more familiar with each other than we are now," she said honestly, "I know I'm just springing this on you, but I've thought about it for a while. I also remember being in New York, doing some things, so we have seen each other undressed, but we haven't done a lot of _touching_."

"I'd like to do more, too," he smiled, reaching up to brush a hand over her cheek, "I'm just a little shocked, that's all," he added, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips, "but not enough that I'd say 'no'."

"Good," she admitted, relieved she hadn't scared him. Carefully pushing herself up, she straddled his hips and leaned in to kiss him, with her right hand resting on the bed next to his shoulder to keep her balance.

Noah happily welcomed her kiss and let his hands move to rest on her hips, and then slowly slipped them under her shirt to rest gently on her warm back, "so beautiful," he murmured, and a thought occurred to him, "babe, what about your dads?" He wondered, realizing they could walk in on something they wouldn't want to see.

"They know," she replied, and when she saw his wide eyes, she continued to explain, "we've talked about you and I furthering our physical relationship and I've asked them to knock before they come into my room when we're in here. I don't want a repeat of California, when your dad walked in on us... Though at least then we had only been sleeping. This time, we might not be."

"Good point," he agreed, "but... how much do they really know?" He asked nervously.

Sitting back on her knees, still straddling him, she rested her good hand on his chest, just over his heart and smiled, "in the times we've talked to our parents and with the conversation I had with my dads while you were in LA, they know you're in no way rushing me into anything, over time we're going to experience more and one day soon we'll make love for the first time," she explained truthfully. "We've been pretty clear from the start with our parents about where our relationship is going. I don't think they would let us be behind closed doors or have sleepovers, in the same bed, if they didn't trust us or wouldn't be okay with what we're doing. I also think, because we've been upfront and honest with them, they're okay with it, too. Well, maybe not completely 'okay', but they get it and know we're going to be careful."

Noah was silent for a moment, letting what she said sink in. When he realized she was right, he pushed himself up a little, to close the distance between them, "you're right and I would definitely love to explore more of you, baby," he murmured, grinning brightly.

Leaning in the last few inches, she gladly pressed a kiss to his lips and wrapped her good arm around his neck to hold him close to her. Silently, she used her finger tips on her left hand to tug gently at his shirt.

Realizing she was pulling on his shirt, Noah pulled back from the kiss, "do you want me to take my shirt off?"

"Yes, please," she nodded, hating she didn't have two good hands to do what she wanted.

Noah first rested his hands on her hips, gently guiding her to backward a few inches, so she was straddling his thighs, which allowed him to sit up all the way. As he did, he tugged his t-shirt over his head, and tossed it towards his bags on the floor, "better?" He wondered, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her close again.

Rachel's eyes wandered along his toned abs and she licked her lips, "definitely," she confirmed, gently brushing her fingers over the warm skin of his abdomen, causing her cheeks to flush.

"You okay?" He reached up and rested a hand on her cheek.

"Yes," she assured him, "this is... We're... Noah, you're my first and I'm hoping my only and I want to make sure that I remember these moments we share together for the rest of our lives," she explained with a smile.

"I feel the same way," he leaned in and kissed her gently, letting his arms wrap around her. Continuing the kiss, he slowly laid back, bringing her with him, "I'm not letting you go," he promised as their lips broke apart.

Rachel nodded happily and settled against him, "you've been holding back for a long time, huh?" She wondered softly, feeling him press against her as her hand gently came to rest near one of his nipple rings, lightly brushing her thumb over the sensitive skin.

Noah couldn't help a deep groan escape his lips as she touched him, "you could say that," he agreed, letting his eyes drift closed as he laid his head back on the pillows, "a few cold showers here and there."

"Sorry," she murmured, shifting slightly to press a kiss to his chest.

"Don't be. I promised I'd wait for you and I meant it," he smiled lightly, "but it is a little harder for guys to, um, ignore the pressure."

Rachel smiled at his response and shifted slightly, placing kisses along his skin, feeling heat radiating off him, "one day you won't have to take a cold shower," she whispered.

"I know," he replied, feeling sparks crackling all over his body from her gentle touches.

Laying soft kisses along his skin, Rachel moved slowly down his chest and paused briefly at his waist before working her way back up. In the dim light, she couldn't help being drawn to the metal piercing the skin of his sensitive nipples, "I'm still amazed you got these done," she mumbled. Seeing his eyes closed, she took the opportunity to surprise him by gently placing her lips around a ring and brushing her tongue over it, just to see what he'd do.

"Oh shit!" Noah groaned, completely oblivious to what she was doing until he felt, what he thought was an electrical current shooting through his body from one of his piercings.

"Noah, are you alright?" She asked quickly as she pulled back, worried she'd hurt him.

"Yeah," he gasped, taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and feeling his body reacting to the sensation, "I... I knew they'd be sensitive, but I didn't realize how much," he said honestly, "you didn't hurt me," he added, to reassure her, "it's just the first time I've ever felt them this way. The last time we really did much in bed, we were in New York and just got down to our underclothes. We never actually did a lot of touching, so this was a good shock."

"Good and you're right, we didn't do much then. Which is why I wanted to do a little more now," she explained softly, pressing a kiss to his heart.

Brushing a hand through her hair, Noah smiled, "I'm all yours."

Rachel grinned and carefully pushed herself up again and this time began unbuttoning her sweater, revealing a lavender bra beneath, "and I'm yours," she whispered, carefully slipping the top off her shoulders and once she worked it from around her cast, she tossed it in the direction of her dirty clothes basket.

"So beautiful," Noah murmured, a grin growing on his cheeks as his entire body stirred with desire at the sight of her shirtless, something he'd rarely seen, but every time he did, he'd see she was even more beautiful than before.

Expecting her to stop there, he was surprised to see her right hand reaching behind her and after a brief moment, her bra loosened. Rachel worked it off her arms and tossed the undergarment out of the way, exposing herself to him for truly the first time, "um," she bit her lip nervously, a slight blush continuing to spread over her skin, "I've wanted to do this, but... I'm not..."

Noah knew what she was trying to say and he sat up, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her lovingly, "Rachel, you're beautiful. Every part of you is gorgeous and there is nothing to be embarrassed about," he swore, staring her in the eyes as his hands rested against her hips.

"Thank you," she smiled brightly, relief washing over her, "I... I hoped you'd feel that way, but... I'm not... I'm not as big as some of the other girls," she admitted softly.

"Baby, I love you and you're amazing, just the way you are. I said you're beautiful and gorgeous and I meant it. Don't compare yourself to anyone, okay?" Noah watched her nod, so he reached up and brushed his hand along her cheek, before leaning in to kiss her again.

When their lips connected, Rachel wrapped her good arm around his neck and held him close, "I love you," she whispered against his lips, pressing her forehead against his.

"I love you too," he replied gently. As he said that, a thought came to him, flashing like a neon sign in his mind and he needed to take care of it, so he bit his lip nervously, "and I hope that means you won't kill me when I ask if I can get up."

"Why?" She asked, confused, "do you need to use the restroom?"

"No," he shook his head, "you'll... you might think it's funny, so can I just get up? I'm sorry, I just need to do this now."

Eyeing him for a moment, Rachel gave in, shifting off him and grabbed the light blanket they'd been using to cover herself as she watched him curiously.

Noah felt horrible, but he pressed a kiss to her forehead and got up, moving over to his things. Digging through his school bag, he found his old, worn, brown leather journal, with his initials on the cover. Pulling it out and digging for a pen, he opened the journal to the next empty page and began writing. The journal had been with him for years; it traveled the world with him and thanks to it being refillable, he'd been able to keep it close whenever he needed something to write on. Sometimes he'd write notes from a meeting with his manager or record label, sometimes he'd do homework in it, but most of the time, he'd write lyrics on the white pages. He'd written hundreds of ideas down, many that had been later turned into songs and this was one of this 'idea' moments. His ideas came from experiences, friendships, family relationships, feelings and emotions, but other times they came from a simple phrase he or someone else said near him.

Rachel watched her boyfriend pull out a notebook and began writing notes in it, while he knelt by his bags. She had no clue what he was doing, but she could tell he was quite focused on whatever he was trying to get out, "Noah, you could sit on the bed. You don't have to kneel on the floor," she said softly.

"Oh yeah," he nodded, standing up and taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"May I ask what you're doing?" She asked sliding a little closer to him.

Noah blushed a little, but took a deep breath, "you're seeing the beginning stages of a new song. Sometimes words or phrases give me an idea and I just got one, so I have to write them down or I'm afraid I'll forget them," he paused and motioned to the notebook in his hand, "this journal and I have written many songs of the years."

"I've seen that journal before, but I never knew what was in it," she admitted, smiling at him, "I definitely understand and I don't think it's funny. I think it's amazing that you're able to take simple words or phrases and turn them into music. What gave you the idea?"

Noah smiled proudly, "when I said, '_baby, I love you and __you're amazing, just the way you are_'. Now I'm just writing some things that go along with it and over the next few days I'll try to write out some lyrics and music for it."

"Oh, Noah," she felt her heart swell with love and reached out to rest her hand on his cheek, "it already sounds wonderful and I'm honored that I can be an inspiration for your music," she told him with a bright smile.

"Baby, you're so much more than that," he replied honestly, closing his book and moving to quickly put it by his bags, before returning to the bed and laying down next to her, "you're the love of my life," he finished, kissing her lovingly as he pulled her close to him.

Reacting happily, Rachel returned his kiss and tugged the blanket from around her and threw it over them, so they were covered, "and you're mine."

Noah smiled and gently got her to lay back on the pillows and he carefully crawled on top of her, mirroring what she'd done earlier, "you're so beautiful," he murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her soft skin, just above her heart.

Rachel inhaled sharply at the intense sensations hitting her and felt her whole body begin to flush as her heart raced, "Noah, touch me," she begged.

Happy to oblige, Noah kissed her gently in the valley between her breasts and moved down, laying kisses all over her abdomen. As he pressed his lips to one of her sides, he did not expect the reaction he got; giggling, "babe?" He raised a curious eyebrow at her.

"Sorry!" She blushed even more, biting her lip, "I didn't realize I was ticklish there."

"Where? Here?" He kissed the same spot again and got the same response.

"Noah!" She gasped, wiggling a little as a giggle escaped her lips again.

"Oh, there," he smirked, "what about your other side?" He wondered out loud, moving to mirror what he'd done and grinned when her body flinched under his kiss, "my girlfriend's ticklish on her sides. I'm definitely going to remember this," he winked, kissing the center of her stomach, before working his way back up her chest to look her in the eyes.

Rachel's cheeks felt like they were on fire from blushing so much, "sorry. I honestly didn't know."

"No need to apologize," he assured her, kissing her lips gently, "it happens."

"I know, but this just isn't how I expected this moment to go," she murmured.

Noah shifted to rest on his side next to her, covering them with the blanket to stay warm, and his hand came to rest on her flat stomach, "I think this has been wonderful," he replied honestly. "We're taking our time and still learning about each other," he added, letting his hand move up to gently cup one of her soft breasts.

Rachel's eyes drifted closed as she smiled, loving the feel of his warm hand touching her skin. What she didn't expect was him to brush his thumb over her nipple, causing her to gasp, "Noah!"

"Definitely a good shock, isn't it?" He wondered softly, grinning at her.

"Yes, it is," she agreed, feeling at ease.

"What do you say about us continuing?" He asked, kissing her lips again.

Rachel grinned and nodded, "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea."

...

The underlined words correspond to the song by Bruno Mars, 'Just The Way You Are'. I don't own the song, just borrowing for this work of fiction... The current time in this story is February 2010 and the song by Bruno Mars was released in late-July 2010 (source - Wikipedia under - 'Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)'). I've decided in this universe, Noah will write this song and it will be on his next album, so Bruno Mars will not be a part of this universe, or if he is, that's not one of his songs... When I first wrote Noah's words to Rachel, I had no thoughts of the song until a few lines later when I reread when I'd written. When I saw them, I remembered the song and also realized I haven't really showed Noah working on songs, other than in summary, so I thought this might be an interesting way to bring it up.

...

A/N4: Wow! An update! I was going to have more in this chapter, but when I had the ideas and since I haven't updated for quite a while, I thought I'd end it there, so I could get something to you all. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know! I'm really sorry it's been so long. My last update was the day before my surgery and this summer has not been funnest for me, but I think I might be feeling better. My surgery went quick and recovery was mostly okay, but I'm still having issues with certain foods (I couldn't even have cake for my birthday, which was Saturday, because I knew it would upset my stomach). I'm now on antacids and those are helping a lot, so I'm not totally over everything, but I'm getting there. Thanks for the support and well wishes. They really mean a lot to me! (Though one awesome thing is in mid-August I got to meet the bestselling author, Debbie Macomber. She lives just a town over from me and has a series called 'Cedar Cove', which is a fictional town, loosely based on the town she lives in near me. I went to the release party for her new book, the start of a new series, also set in Cedar Cove. What an honor to meet her and I dream of being like her one day!)

A/N5: To those of you who do review, I totally appreciate each one and I do read them all. I try to respond to as many as I can and those I haven't, I'll try to soon!

A/N6: For those of you who don't know, I'm on Tumblr (EJ8302 & Twitter is the same name) and I see a lot of Glee related news. I have a love/hate relationship with Glee. I honestly am pissed about a lot of things I've heard, and am not sure I'll be watching. I know many of you have already given up on the show and I totally get it... Then I find out that Dean Geyer (who I fell in love with when he was in Terra Nova last year!) has been cast on the show, so I thought I'd watch it for him... Then I find out that Mark/Puck will probably only be in a few episodes and Puck now has a half-brother... WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? Ugh! I'm so pissed at the writers for doing that... Anyway, what I'm bringing this up for is because I'm asking you all to help keep the Puckleberry bubble alive by sticking with them! I'm finding many Puckleberry fans are giving up and walking away and authors have stopped writing them. While I totally respect everyone who does walk away, because they have their reasons and they have a right to do that, it still is upsetting that we're losing people. I'll continue to be here, even if I stop watching Glee, the show. I'd rather live in the fan fiction world with Puckleberry rather than what we're stuck with in the show, meaning I'm gonna continue to write my stories and I'm not going anywhere. I hope you all stick around, too!


	47. Chapter 47

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

Rachel woke to an empty space, where her boyfriend had been during the night. Her ears quickly caught the sound of running water coming from her bathroom, which answered her curiosity, wondering where he was. "_Noah must be taking a shower,_" she thought, rolling to her back to look at the clock. It was just before six-am and she was surprised he was up so early, but they did have to go to school that morning, so sleeping in wasn't an option.

While laying on her back, Rachel noticed her dreamcatcher, the one Noah had hung up for her. Since it'd gone up, she'd had nights without dreaming, but other times, she'd still have them, but they were definitely not scary. Sometimes she'd feel like her thoughts were replaying what happened to her, but with a quicker rescue, while other dreams were completely random and unexpected, just like the one she'd just woken up from.

Her most recent dream was the strangest one she'd had thus far; strange in a good way. She could tell she and Noah were older by a few years and they were still together, and she hoped it was real, because she couldn't imagine her life without him in it. The actual theme of her dream was what made it 'strange' and she definitely wanted to talk to her boyfriend about it.

Rachel's thoughts were interrupted, when the door into her bathroom opened and her boyfriend walked out, "good morning."

Noah turned to look at her and smiled, "hey babe," he moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed, "sorry I wasn't in bed when you woke up. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I figured I'd shower and try to get back into bed before you got up."

"It's alright," she replied, smiling lightly at him, "I could hear where you were. What got you up earlier than normal?"

"I don't know. I think I'm nervous for you today. I'm sure you're going to be fine, but I can't help wondering what could happen," he told her honestly.

Rachel sat up and shifted closer to kiss him, "I hope I'll be fine today, but I appreciate you're concerned about me."

"Always am, babe," he murmured against her lips, "how did you sleep?"

"It was a good night. Had a few dreams, one of them I want to talk to you about," she replied pulling from their kiss to sit back on the bed.

Noah eyed her curiously, "is everything alright?"

"Yes," she replied with a nod, "it wasn't a bad dream. Just something happened in it that I wanted to mention to you and see what you thought."

"Alright. Now or later?" He asked, grabbing one of the two shirts he'd laid out on her bed.

Rachel held up her arm, "when we're on our way to school. I need to shower and with this cast on it takes me a little longer."

...

Just before seven in the morning, Rachel and Noah were both in the Berry's kitchen, moving around the familiar space making breakfast. David and Alan were still upstairs getting ready for work, so the couple started coffee and gathered what they were going to have for breakfast, and were sitting down at the island to eat when the guys joined them.

"Good morning, you two," David greeted, walking over to Rachel to press a kiss to her cheek, "how'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, compared to a few weeks ago," Rachel replied.

"That's wonderful!" David smiled, moving away to get some coffee.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back to school?" Alan wondered, greeting Rachel with a hug and kiss.

Rachel laughed lightly, "yes, dad, I am. Well, I am going back. I'm not one-hundred-percent ready, but close enough."

"Alright, well, if you change your mind, you can always take a few more days," Alan told her.

"I know, thank you, but I won't change my mind. It's time to go back," she assured them, "and if I have problems I know where to find help," she added as she glanced Noah and smiled.

"I'm there if you need it," Noah promised, returning her smile.

David moved over to them again and took a seat next to Rachel, "and we're glad you are, Noah," David replied.

"Do both of you have your things ready?" Alan wondered, getting some coffee, before joining them.

"Yep. My bag is ready," Noah nodded.

"Mine is, too, and if I do end up leaving something at home I'm sure my teachers will let me turn it in tomorrow," Rachel told them, "oh, and remember it's Glee after school, so Noah and I won't be home until later," she added.

"We remember. Take it easy. Practicing for a few hours on Saturday is a completely different experience than spending all day at school and then practicing," David warned, "and if your wrist bothers you, don't hesitate to take some Tylenol or Ibuprofen. I've already informed the school that you take your pain medication as needed, so you shouldn't have any issues if someone catches you."

"Thanks," Rachel nodded at him, "I'd forgotten about that. My wrist hasn't bothered me too much. Now my arm is starting to itch, so I'm counting down the days until I can get it off."

"Won't you have to wear a removable cast for a few weeks, after that cast comes off?" Noah motioned to the one on her arm.

"Yes, for a few weeks, probably only taking it off to shower, but after that and some physical therapy, it it won't have to be worn as often," David confirmed.

"That I can deal with," Rachel replied, "but I hate that I can't take this off to shower. It's quite difficult to wash my hair with one hand and another covered in plastic."

The three guys laughed lightly at her comment, but understood what she meant, "that is difficult, but I'm sure it will only be a few more weeks. You're young and healthy and I'm sure at your doctor's appointment at the end of the month it will come off."

Rachel grinned brightly, "I'm definitely looking forward to that!"

...

Finishing up breakfast, Noah and the three Berrys took care of their last minute tasks before everyone gathered their things and got ready to leave. David and Alan both headed off to work, while Rachel and Noah climbed into his SUV and Noah began the drive to McKinley, "so what about your dream did you want to talk about?" Noah asked curiously.

"Oh, that!" Rachel shifted in her seat, "well, do you think I'd ever go on a TV show with you? I mean, like a talk show?"

"I don't know. It's possible. I guess it depends on the situation," Noah replied, "is that what it was about?"

"Yes," she nodded, "we were a few years older and were guests on a talk show. It seemed like it wasn't just a quick few minute interview with the host, either, because we talked about your new album and what happened with me recently."

"Really?" Noah thought for a long moment, "that's odd. I wonder why we'd talk about it, but babe, you do know that it was just a dream, right? It might not be real."

"I know, but it sure felt super real," she told him, "there seemed to be more going on than just talking about what happened and your album, too, but I woke up before I could find out."

"That's interesting and sucks that you weren't able to finish it," Noah admitted, pulling the SUV into the McKinley parking lot.

"Yes, it does suck," she agreed, taking a deep breath, "we're here," she murmured.

"We are," Noah reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder, "how are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she assured him, "I'm nervous, but okay. Ask me again after a few classes."

...

It only took Noah a few minutes to find a place to park, just a few cars down from Finn's. Once they were stopped, the two were silent and Noah waited for Rachel to make the first step. When she pushed her door open and slid out, Noah also got out and grabbed their bags from the backseat, before closing the door, locking them and meeting her in the back, "alright, babe, you good?"

Rachel nodded and took his hand in her good one, "yes, I am," she replied simply, "thank you for carrying my bag."

"No problem," he smiled, shouldering their bags as they started walking towards the school.

Butterflies began to build in her stomach, the closer they got to the building, but mentally she was doing okay, so she pushed aside the feelings, "so far so good," she murmured.

Noah smiled at her and pulled the door open for them when they reached it, "good to know."

As Rachel stepped inside, the hallways were more congested than they'd been the last few times she'd been there and she immediately felt worry building within her and had an urge to look around to see anyone following them, "_relax, Rachel. You can do this,_" she thought, "_if people are behind you, it's because they're going the same direction you are. No one is following us._"

Walking down the center of the hall, Noah noticed more people looking at them than normal; tapping their friends shoulders and motioning to them, and he knew they were pointing out that she was back, "you okay, babe?" He asked softly, gently squeezing her hand as they turned the corner to the hallway with his locker.

"Yes," she nodded, "just going one step at a time," she added, taking a deep breath.

Pausing at Noah's locker for a brief moment, so he could get his things for his first class, Rachel stayed close to him and kept her eyes focused on his locker, but she couldn't help a few glances across the hallway to where _her_ locker had been. She'd already had an opportunity to see it and deal with it, but she still couldn't shake the cold feeling she got when she was near it.

"Rachel?" Noah looked at her, when he noticed she was focused on a specific locker across the hall.

"Yeah? Sorry," she shook from her thoughts, "ready?"

Noah nodded, "I am," he slid his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead, "you're doing great."

"I hope so," she snuggled against him and let him guide her down the hallway and around another corner towards her locker.

Just a few feet from their friends and her locker, Kayla, the female soccer player who'd stood up to Karofsky for them, stopped in her tracks in front of Rachel and Noah and began clapping and smiling at Rachel.

Kayla's clapping began a chain reaction, quickly spreading through the hallway and soon Noah and Rachel were surrounded by students and staff clapping, cheering and shouting 'welcome back' to Rachel.

Rachel gasped and felt tears building in her eyes as a blush grew on her cheeks, completely stunned at the support she was getting. "Thank you," she choked out, waving at everyone around them.

"Welcome back, Rachel," Kayla said simply, keeping her distance, because she wasn't sure how Rachel would react, while the hallway began to settle down.

"Thank you, Kayla," Rachel smiled at her, "this is unexpected, but it really means a lot," she told her, raising her voice so everyone around could hear her.

"You're welcome," Kayla held out her hand to Rachel.

Rachel stepped forward and laughed lightly, brushing away the formal handshake to give her a quick hug.

Kayla was surprised at the gesture, but gladly returned it, "I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"I am," Rachel nodded as they pulled apart, "I've had some issues, but I seem to be getting through them."

"That's good," Kayla agreed, "I'm around, you know, if you ever have a problem."

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks," Rachel replied.

Kayla nodded at her, "awesome. Well, I've gotta get going, so I'll see you later."

"You will," Rachel waved at her as she began to walk down the hallway.

"You get a standing ovation and you didn't even do a performance," Kurt commented with a grin, moving right over to her to give her a hug.

Rachel laughed lightly, "I don't think it was _that_ kind of standing ovation," she replied, letting Kurt and Noah guide her towards the rest of their friends. "Everyone was just showing their support, which means a lot."

"We were," Quinn agreed, hugging her, "and even though we saw you this weekend, it's still nice to see you back at school, for real and not just for Glee."

"It's good to be back. I'm still nervous and have butterflies in my stomach, but I'm glad I can finally start to get back to normal," she admitted, opening her locker and taking her bag from her boyfriend.

"That's the best thing you can do," Tina replied, "and soon it'll all be in the past."

Rachel collected the items she needed for her first class and nodded at what Tina said, "that's what I'm hoping."

...

Rachel was really proud of herself. The first three classes of the day seemed to pass by and aside from her classmates and teachers welcoming her back, everything seemed to be as normal as it had been before. She was also thankful that at least one of her friends for Glee was in her classes, so she had their immediate support if she needed it. By the time lunch arrived just after third period, Rachel was surprised the day had gone so fast, but she knew it was because she hadn't been to classes for several weeks and was getting used to everything again.

"So how was your morning?" Noah asked when he met Rachel at her locker after third period.

"It was nice and was something to do, besides being bored at home," she admitted, "but I did okay and I'm glad I have friends in each of my classes in case I had a problem."

Noah smiled happily and kissed her forehead as they walked down the hallway, "I'm glad things are going so well."

"Me, too. I hope it continues," she added as they made it to the cafeteria and stood in line to get lunch. "And sometime before lunch is over I would like to go talk to Ms. Pillsbury about some paperwork I need."

"For what?" Noah glanced at her curiously.

"Running Start," she replied, "the college program I want to try to get into. The testing is in March and I need to have my dads sign some papers. I've emailed her about it, but now I just have to pick up the papers."

"You're really going through with that?" He wondered, a little surprised, but also containing his excitement for what it meant if she could graduate with him.

"I am. I've had some time to research it and it's a great program for me. I'll also be able to get some experience on a college campus, before I graduate, too," she explained, "and I have some other reasons for wanting to get into it," she added, pressing a kiss to his lips.

Noah returned her kiss and smiled as she pulled back, "I know what you mean. I've got your back, if it's really what you want to do."

"Thank you," she smiled back at him, "I just have to break it to our friends later. I don't want to do it now."

"I get ya," Noah nodded, helping Rachel as they got their food and moved to pay, "and you can tell them when you're ready."

...

Lunch time was just as uneventful as the morning had been and Rachel was thankful for a relaxing day, thus far. The only difference was the brief visitors to the Glee table, to see Rachel and welcome her back. No one asked what happened, which she was glad for, and she appreciated the support she'd been getting. She wasn't used to the school on her 'side', but it was a nice change. It was also nice to get back to normal, talking with their friends and hanging out, and just being herself again was enough to help continue to build up her confidence. So far, even just after a few hours, Rachel knew she'd made the right choice to return to school and the day had been as perfect as it could be and hoped it continued.

About fifteen minutes before lunch ended, Rachel and Noah excused themselves from their friends and made their way to Emma's office. She and Will had just returned from lunch together and both got concerned by her visit, "Rachel, is everything alright?" Emma asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Rachel assured them, "I came by to get that paperwork we emailed about."

"Oh, yes, I have those," Emma moved to one of her shelves and sorted through various folders until she found the right one. Pulling out the one with Rachel's name on it, she handed it to her, "I've had them set aside since you asked me about them in your email. I need them back as soon as possible, so I can get your name on the testing list."

Rachel nodded, "I will get them back this week," she promised, "the sooner I get this going the better, because I really want to get into the program," she turned to Will, "I'm applying to get into the 'Running Start' program."

"Ah, I see. I think you'll do great in that program. Are you going to go part-time or full-time?" He wondered.

"Part-time is all I need to finish up my classes to graduate next year, so I'll still be able to be in Glee. Just keep it between us for now. Our parents know," she motioned to Noah, "but I don't want to tell anyone else until I'm in. Kurt, Tina, Mercedes, Artie and I have known each other since Freshman year and we've always figured we'd graduate together, but if I continue the way I'm going, I'll only be taking a few required classes and the rest will be electives I don't need in my Senior year, just to fill my day," she paused, "I just want to know for sure that I'm in the program before I break the news to them, that's all."

"Fair enough and that's your news to share, not mine, so your secret is safe with me," Will assured her, "and I think your friends will understand. What you said makes sense."

Rachel smiled and nodded at him, "thank you."

"Well, while you're here, how are you doing? It's your first full day back to school," Emma commented, slipping into her role as a counselor.

"I'm doing alright. I was nervous this morning, but being with Noah and our friends have made it really easy to come back. Honestly, for a few moments at lunch, I forgot I even had a cast," she lifted her arm, "and the support from classmates has been nice, but it does feel a little strange getting it from people I don't even know."

"Something big like this can change everyone and put things in perspective," Emma admitted, "and I'm glad that things so far are going well. You know my door is always open if you ever want to talk," she added.

"Yes, I know and thank you. Right now, I'm good. I'm back, I'm getting my work turned in, I'm starting to pick up where things were left off and I finally feel like things are getting back to normal," Rachel admitted, moving towards her boyfriend who was holding her bag, so she could slip the folder into it, "and as soon as this cast is gone, I think I will be."

"How much longer will it be on?" Will asked curiously.

"Daddy says when I see my doctor at the end of the month it will probably come off, but I'll have a removable cast to wear pretty much all the time, except to shower in. I'll also have to do some physical therapy, so I'm hoping by Nationals I'll be completely free of it, but it all depends on how I heal and how therapy goes," she explained.

"That makes sense and don't push yourself. You're doing great now with your cast and once we get past Regionals, we'll be able to prepare for Nationals and will have plenty of time to work out a routine that keeps you from using your left hand as much," Will told her.

Rachel nodded in understanding, "I know and I get it. I won't push myself. Well, I will, but I won't be like some of those athletes who go out and cut their cast off two weeks early just to play in a game or something like that. I know that can do more damage than good."

"And we want you at a hundred-percent," Noah added, slipping his arm around her shoulders.

"I want the same thing," she assured them, seeing what time it was on the clock, "we should probably get going. The bell is about to ring."

"Oh, of course," Emma nodded, "I'm glad to see you are doing so well, Rachel. Stop by anytime."

Rachel nodded, "I will. Thanks again. See you both later."

"See you in class, Noah, and both of you in Glee," Will replied, waving at them as the bell rang on-time.

The teens returned his wave and excused themselves from the office, making their way towards their next classes, since they already had what they needed for them, "Noah, I can't help thinking about New York," Rachel told him.

"Oh yeah? What about it?" He wondered, knowing it could mean anything.

She blushed lightly, "actually, the winters. I just have this imagine of you and I, arm-in-arm, both bundled up to keep warm while we walk around town, shopping for holiday gifts for our friends and family. I don't know, it sounds romantic to me."

"I can understand that," he smiled at her, "and I'll have to remember that for future reference."

"No, you don't need to," she waved her hand to pass it off, "it was just a random comment."

Noah paused as they reached her classroom, "babe, you felt it was important enough to say, so I listened. I think it's worth remembering, so I will," he smiled at her, reaching up to rest a hand on her cheek, "okay?"

Rachel's cheeks continued to flush under his touch, but she nodded, "okay, cool."

...

Rachel's history class always seemed to drag on and she noticed it hadn't changed. It was because the next two classes, the last of the day, she shared with her boyfriend and she always looked forward to them. She did her best to focus on taking notes, so her eyes wouldn't keep drifting to the clock, but she found herself sneaking a peek several times and each time, the minutes hadn't changed much.

When the bell finally rang to end class, Ryan, who was also in her class, met up with her and the two walked out together, heading towards her and Kurt's lockers, where they met up with Noah, "thanks, Ryan," Rachel smiled at him. "You didn't have to walk me out here, but I appreciate it."

"No problem, Rachel. We used to walk out here together, so I don't see why that has to change," he told her with a smile, "and I've got to get to my next class, so see you guys after school," he added, waving at the two of them before walking off.

"How was class?" Noah asked as Rachel collected her things for their next class.

"Fine. It always seems like that class goes so much slower than my other ones," she replied.

"Could it be that it's history?" He smirked, "Mine always seemed to go forever and it's my least favorite class."

Rachel contemplated what he said as she closed her locker, "I'm not a big fan of it either, so maybe you're right, but I always figured it was because I wanted to be on our next classes with you."

"Oh, well, then," Noah grinned and slipped his arm around her shoulders as they began to walk to his locker, "I like your thinking better."

"I thought you might," she giggled lightly, relaxing against him as they walked. "I like it, too."

"I know. I'm irresistible," he joked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Rachel smiled at him, "you are," she agreed, letting him guide her.

Rounding the corner of the hallway and continuing on, they were just a few feet away from Noah's locker when the two noticed Dave Karofsky walking towards them with a slushy cup in his hand. The couple shared a look and Noah slid in front of Rachel, just in case Dave had decided to pick up his old ways; Noah was not going to let him slushy her.

Rachel peaked around her boyfriend and was surprised to see Dave come to a stop in front of him. The two were silent for a brief moment and Dave lowered the slushy cup, as many students in the hallway saw the stand-off and began to watch, waiting to see what was going to happen next.

Dave nervously rubbed his neck with his free hand, "uh, hi. Can I talk to Rachel?" He asked, knowing why Noah was standing between them.

"I don't know," Noah replied simply, "where's that slushy going?"

"No where, I swear," he promised.

Noah eyed Rachel and took a deep breath, before turning back to Dave, "alright, if she wants to talk to you, that's up to her."

Rachel moved around her boyfriend and came to face the guy who spent the entire previous year slushying her and her friends, "hello, Dave. Can we help you?"

"Look, I, um," Dave started, but he was having a hard time finding the right words, "so, is it true about what happened to you?"

"If by 'happened to me', you mean, a fellow classmate abducting me and holding me against my will, then yes, it did happen," she replied, keeping her words simple.

Dave nodded and took a deep breath, "I was shocked when I heard what happened and it put a lot of things in perspective. I realized that what I'd done to you and everyone in the past, with the bullying and the slushies, was stupid and uncalled for. I talked the guys out of doing it when Kayla jumped on us for it, but I wanted you to know I'm done doing that for good. No one deserves to be bullied or have anything like that happen to them, I mean, like what happened to you," he motioned to her, "so, I... I just wanted to say that I'm truly sorry and I hope you accept my apology."

Listening to what he said, a light smile grew on her lips and she held out her hand, "thank you and I do accept your apology."

Surprised she quickly responded, Dave took her hand and shook it, "I'm glad."

Able to tell he was shocked, she went on to add, "while there is one person I'll never be able to forgive, because of what she did to me, there are other things I can let go of easier and this is one of them. I believe you're sorry," she paused, "and I appreciate what you said. I just ask that you don't break the trust I'm giving you, because it won't be easy to win back."

"I get it. That's fair," Dave nodded, "and if any of the other guys give the Glee Club any problems, let me know and I'll take care of it."

"Okay," Rachel returned his nod and noticed her boyfriend had just closed his locker, "I will also let the club know."

"Alright," Dave replied, turning to Noah and held out his hand, "I see you're pretty protective of her and I get it. I meant what I said."

Noah glanced at Rachel and she smiled, insisting he shake his hand and forgive him. Noah had never been hit with a slushy, but he'd seen Rachel hit with one once and that was enough to piss him off. After finding out it had gone on the previous year, he didn't want to just forgive Dave, but he also understood where Rachel was coming from, so he gave in and shook his hand, "alright. If Rachel believes you, I will, too. I only hope we don't regret that choice."

"I won't go back to doing what I did, but I can't speak for the others," David told them.

"We know that, Dave," Rachel replied, "we're not asking you, too."

"I give you props, man. It takes a lot of guts to say your sorry," Noah added.

Dave smiled lightly, "thanks. I just... I guess I'm growing up," he shrugged, motioning down the hall, "I... it's almost time for class."

The three shared nods and Dave stepped away from them, continuing in the direction he'd been going and Noah put his arm around Rachel's shoulders as they began walking to their class, "talk about a shocker."

"Yes, it was a surprise," she agreed, slipping her good arm around his waist, "and you're right, it does take a lot of courage to say 'sorry' for things done in the past."

Noah nodded, "yeah, it is, but I was more surprised you forgave him so quickly."

"Oh, well," she took a deep breath, "after what happened, things like his teasing and the slushies seem so small in comparison to what she did. I'll _never_ forgive her for that, but if I can get past the mental issues that came from it, then I can put everything else in the past so I can move on, too. Not only that," she paused, "but he could have just continued being a civil person and not said anything, but he literally came up and apologized. That was a big step. He's not going to be my best friend, but at least now when I pass him in the hallway I'm not going to wonder if he's going to throw a slushy on me," she explained.

Pausing just outside their classroom door, Noah turned to her and smiled, "you're amazing and I'm really happy to see you recovering so well from this," he told her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"I've had such wonderful support from you, our families and friends. It's all really meant a lot and has helped me so much," she replied, smiling back at him, "you especially. You've been there by my side and I'm so thankful to have you in my life, Noah."

Wrapping his arms around her gently, Noah held her close for a moment and pressed a soft kiss to her neck, "I feel the same way about you in my life, Rach," he whispered, "and I'm so beyond happy that you made it home safely."

Rachel let her eyes drift closed for a moment as they hugged and she soaked in the warmth and security he gave her. His soft, yet meaningful words filled her heart with love and though happy tears prickled her eyes, she blinked them away and pulled back to respond, "I am, too, and if I remember correctly, you found me, so you helped me make it home."

Memories sparked in his mind about what she mentioned and he nodded, "yes, that's true, if you want to get technical about it. I just meant metaphorically, but either way, you're home and you're getting better. That makes me very happy."

Standing up on her toes, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips, "I feel the same way."

...

**Up next:** Regionals

...

A/N4: An update! I hope you enjoyed! Review and let me know what you think! My depression flared up a few months ago, so I had a hard time focusing to write. I'm slowly getting better, so I've been working on my fics one at a time and this was next one on my list... I want you all to know I'm still here and I'm not going to stop writing Puckleberry. I love them, my fics and you all too much to stop! Thank you for all the understanding and support you've given me over the years. It really means a lot!

A/N5: I'm around, so if you ever want to chat, just say 'hi' or ask a question, feel free to message me here or I'm EJ8302 on Tumblr and Twitter.

A/N6: Happy Holidays, everyone!

...


	48. Chapter 48 a & b on LJ

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

After a successful day back at school, Rachel was confident it was the right time and she was glad to be back. It'd only been a few weeks since she was rescued, and after everything she went through, the physical and mental scars were healing well and she knew it was because she had such an amazing support system around her, there to lean on if she ever needed it. She also knew she'd continue to get more of her life back, which was important to her and everyone she knew.

As with her healing process, she'd changed a lot, too. She knew some of the changes would go away as time went on, but some details she didn't know if she'd ever get over. She hadn't gone out in public, alone, since her abduction and she wasn't sure she'd ever feel comfortable with that, but she also wasn't concerned with that at the moment. She decided to focus on the more important details of her life, like returning to her school environment and being around large groups of people. As time passed, she knew everything else would fall into place and decided to let them happen naturally.

...

Noah waited at his SUV for his girlfriend. It was Friday and she was driving by herself to school for the first time, since going back to school and he wanted to be there when she got to McKinley. Noah had been staying at the Berry's with Rachel that week, so they'd gone to school together, but because of their plans for Regionals, he'd stayed at home the night before and drove to school, because he had to leave early. She could have also, but she didn't want to miss any more classes than she already had, so she decided it was time for her to drive to school alone.

It wasn't the first time Rachel had driven her car since she'd been home, but it was the first time going to McKinley alone. She'd gotten used to her boyfriend being with her, but she wouldn't always have him or someone else with her on her drive to school, so she knew this was the best time to get some more independence back and take another step in her recovery, even if it was a small one.

The short drive was quiet and though she was a little more observant of the things around her and got a few butterflies, the majority of the trip, she was able to relax and focus. When she finally pulled into the parking lot, she was glad to be there. Making her way towards the area where she and her boyfriend usually parked, she found the familiar SUV already there and was surprised to see Noah sitting on his rear bumper.

When Rachel's car pulled into the spot next to him, Noah stood up and moved towards her door and waved at her, opening her door when she turned off the engine, "hey babe. How was your drive?" He wondered curiously.

"Hey Noah. It was alright. A few butterflies, but I'm fine. I did miss you, though," she admitted, shifting and getting out of the car.

Noah wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I missed you, too, but I'm proud you did this. It's definitely another step in the right direction."

"It is," she agreed, settling against him for a moment, enjoying his presence.

Rubbing her back gently, Noah kissed her forehead and closed her driver's door. Knowing they needed to get inside, Noah reluctantly stepped away from her, so he could open her back door to get her bag.

Watching him, Rachel decided to focus on something else, "anyway, enough about me," she paused, picking the right words, "explain to me why you're sitting outside in the cold! It's just over freezing outside and if you get sick this weekend we're going to have problems!"

"I was waiting for you. I didn't want to go inside and I also didn't want to run the car and waste gas while it idled," he explained with a smirk, "I won't get sick."

Rachel sighed, "Noah, you don't know that!"

"I'm wearing two t-shirts and a heavy hoodie. I'm plenty warm," he promised, kissing her as he shouldered her bag and shut her other door.

Eyeing him skeptically, she gave in, "alright, well, I wouldn't make a habit of it, but I do appreciate you meeting me here," she replied honestly.

"I thought you would," he smiled, "I wanted to see you and I didn't know how this morning would go, since last night we were apart for the first time, pretty much since I got back."

"As I said in my text this morning, it was okay. I definitely missed sleeping next to you, but I'll have to get used to it. We won't be able to stay together every night. I need to be able to sleep alone. Don't get me wrong, I love being with you, but I can't rely on you to be there every night and," she paused, biting her lip nervously, "I hate to say this, but we are in high school. I'm surprised there hasn't been news going around, or gossiping, about our sleeping arrangements. I don't want to stop, but I... I can't help thinking about the example we're setting for your sister and kids her age and our age; your fans."

The two were now walking toward the school and just as they reached the sidewalk, Noah paused, "wow. I never expected you'd say that. I mean I get where you're going, but I haven't cared and I don't plan to start. If you're concerned about that, then we should definitely talk about it."

"I don't want to say it or even think it, but... Maybe I'm just being extra cautious after what happened. _She_ was a fan of yours. The chances of something like that happening is very low, but I know she's not the only fan who doesn't like that you're with someone and any one of them could have done it," she paused, gathering her thoughts, "in a relationship, what happens between the couple, especially behind closed doors, should be no one's business, except the couple and those they share that information with, like our family and friends. You're in the public eye, though, and everything you say and do can be twisted around, taken out of context and then rumors or gossip start flying around about what we're doing. Thus far, our classmates and the residents of Lima have been respectful and supportive of our relationship and what's happened, but all it takes is for one person to let slip somewhere that we have sleepovers and so many things could happen from it," she explained with a sigh.

"Baby, you've had too much free time on your hands," Noah admitted, taking in what she was saying, but not being too concerned about it, "I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to be worried about any of that. Yes, what _she_ did was a rare occurrence and any one of my fans who don't like us together could have done it. I agree with that, but the rest," he shook his head, "don't worry. I'm not concerned about what people think," he paused briefly, "now, for everything else, I do get we're at an age where we should be sleeping apart, because we have the rest of our lives for that, and after what happened you want to get back to being able to sleep through the night without depending on me being there to help out. I totally understand and if you want us to sleep apart more, I'm cool with that. Just tell me," he told her honestly, as they began to make their way into the school.

"I love what we've been doing, Noah, so don't think I'm against it," she reminded him, snuggling against him as they walked through the halls, "and I'll try not to worry too much," she promised.

"I never thought you were against it," he assured her, pausing at his locker.

"Good," she smiled, waiting for him as he collected his books, "um, do you think we could cut back to just a few nights a week, like before, when you'd stay the nights before Glee days, so we could drive to school together, and maybe another night or two?"

"Yeah, if that's what you'd like to do, then I'm totally cool with it," he promised, gathering his books and then closing his locker, "you know I'm pretty open and I do understand."

Rachel smiled and reached up, wrapping her good arm around his neck and kissed him, "thank you. I love you, Noah."

Noah returned her smile as they started to pull apart, "I love you, too, babe."

...

Noah was at school most of the day, but just after the last class started and he turned in his homework, he had to leave. Rachel promised to get their assignments for the weekend, if they had any, and Noah said 'bye' to her and their friends; he'd see them the next day, though Rachel, he'd see in just a few hours.

Since the Puckermans lived further away from school than most of the students, he stopped at his sister's school to pick her up on the way home. Both of them, along with their parents, wanted to have some time to load their luggage into Noah's SUV, before leaving home and meeting Rachel and her dads at their house.

Deborah and Ethan had been home that day to finish up any last minute packing and details, but he and his sister had finished the night before, so when he and Arin got home, it only took about twenty minutes to get things packed up and by the time Noah would have normally gotten out of school, they were already on their way over to the Berry's.

David and Alan were outside loading David's SUV up with their luggage when Noah pulled up right behind Rachel's car. As the Puckermans climbed out to stretch their legs, Rachel was coming outside with her costume bag and purse, so she lightly waved at them, "hey everyone!"

Arin skipped over to Rachel and hugged her, "hey, Rachel!"

"Hey, Arin. I haven't seen you in a few days," Rachel admitted, returning her hug, "how are you?"

"I'm good. How are you and your arm feeling?" She wondered.

"I'm doing alright," Rachel smiled at her, "getting better every day."

"Good, I'm glad," Arin told her.

"Me, too. Are you excited for this weekend?" Rachel asked as she pulled away to hand her dads her costume bag.

"Yeah! I can't wait to see you guys perform. I love your voice. You're gonna be a famous singer one day, just like Noah," she replied with a grin.

"Thank you, Arin. That really means a lot," Rachel blushed, "but, I don't think I'm going into the same type of career as Noah is in. Though, in the future things could change. I definitely am not going to say 'no', but at the moment it's not what I'm planning."

Arin nodded, "I know. You'll be awesome no matter what you do, as long as you can sing."

"Oh, she'll definitely be singing," Noah promised, wrapping his arm around Rachel's shoulders and pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's cheek.

"I definitely will be," she agreed, relaxing against him for a moment. "What's this I hear about you getting to drive up to Detroit?"

Noah raised a curious eyebrow at her, "uh, I don't know. What is she talking about?" He asked his parents standing a few feet away.

"Mom and I discussed it and we think you'll have no problems driving up to Detroit, so we were going to let you. We are taking your SUV after all," Ethan explained.

"Wow! Really? I mean, yeah, I know we're taking mine, but I just figured you'd drive it, since you guys haven't let me drive in major cities before," Noah told them.

"Yes, we know, and there's a first time for everything. When you first got your license and were going to school at McKinley you were just back and forth to school and out around town. When you went back to New York and then with all of your travels, letting you drive wasn't a good idea, because you didn't have a lot of hours behind the wheel. This year, you've had a lot more time driving around and we agree the only way for you to get experience driving in larger cities is to do it, and since you'll be following their car," Deborah motioned to David's SUV, "you won't have to worry about getting lost."

"This is awesome! Thanks!" He smiled, understanding what they were getting at.

"So, Rachel and I are going to switch. I'll go with David and Alan, since I know where we're going and can direct them, as well as keep in touch with Tim and Alex about various arrangements, and Rachel will join you guys. That's why we discussed it with Alan and David earlier. We wanted to make sure they'd be comfortable letting Rachel go with you, because we knew you'd want to be together for the trip up."

"I'm not going to be careless or anything, I promise. I'll be good," Noah replied honestly.

"We know, Noah," David smiled.

Alan nodded in agreement and closed the back end of the car, "and that's the last of our things, so I think we're ready to go and the sooner we leave, the sooner we can get there."

Noah smiled, "sounds great!"

...

The Berrys made a few last minute checks around their house before the three of them exited and the two families joined together. The two switching cars shared hugs with their families and then everyone climbed into their vehicles and began their journey to Detroit.

Deborah let Rachel ride up front with Noah, while she and Arin sat in the backseat. About thirty minutes out of Lima, Noah pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Rachel, "can you keep an eye on this? I'm waiting for a message from someone."

"Uh, sure. You don't mind me in your phone?" Rachel wondered, knowing cell phones usually were a tough topic in relationships.

"I've got nothing to hide," Noah replied honestly, "you already know the people I talk to. I'm waiting on a message about the premiere of the 'We Are The World' video. It's tonight either before or during the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada."

"I can't wait to see that!" Rachel grinned brightly, "I'm so proud of you for doing that, Noah, and to see you with all those other amazing artists. I'm still really shocked that you met Celine and Barbra and got their autographs for me."

"Believe it, babe," he grinned, glancing at her, "and I'd do it again for you, too."

Rachel returned his smile and settled into her seat comfortably, "I know you would."

...

Just before five, Noah's phone beeped with a message from Ethan, giving him the information he wanted. The video was being aired just before the beginning of the Olympics' opening ceremony, at nine-pm their time. Noah asked Rachel to pass the info on to their friends, so they could catch it before they left for Detroit in the morning and Rachel gladly wrote out a short text message with the information and sent it to their friends.

Since they'd left Lima before four in the afternoon, they had already crossed over the Ohio-Michigan state boarder by the time Noah got the message and were thirty to forty-five minutes away from the Motor City. Just minutes after Rachel sent the message out, Noah's phone began howling, which was Taylor's tone. "Uh, Taylor's calling," she commented, turning the phone towards her boyfriend, "answer it?"

"Yeah, just put it on speaker, please," Noah requested.

Rachel nodded and answered the call, immediately hitting the speaker option, "hey Taylor. It's Rachel. Noah's driving, but you're on speaker phone."

"Hey, man," Noah added.

"Me and mom are here, too!" Arin added from the backseat.

"Hey everyone! How's the drive so far?" Taylor wondered.

"Quiet. Thankfully there's no rain, so it's easier driving. The sun is starting to set, too. Nice view from what I can see," Noah replied, "the last few times I've been in Detroit, I've had concerts at night, so I haven't been able to see the sunset."

Though Taylor wanted to respond to him, he hesitated, "uh, have you told Rachel yet?"

"No," Noah smirked.

"Tell me what?" Rachel looked at her boyfriend, "tell me what, Noah? Taylor?"

"Taylor decided to spend this weekend somewhere besides LA," Noah started, smiling, "so he and his family came to Detroit to celebrate his birthday in his home state."

"Oh my! Seriously? Really?" Rachel gasped, grinning brightly.

"Really. When Noah told me your competition was in Detroit the weekend after my birthday, I told my parents I wanted to be here, so we made plans for a family trip for the four of us. I want to hang out with my friends, but we're also here to see you guys in action and offer some moral support," Taylor explained, "and the sunset over the Detroit River and Windsor, Ontario, Canada is awesome. All of our suites overlook them, so you guys will be able to see it tomorrow night, if you miss it tonight," he added, responding to Noah's comment from earlier, now that he knew he wouldn't spoil the surprise.

"I don't know if we'll be there by then, but yeah, we have all weekend," Noah commented.

"This is so cool! I can't wait!" Rachel grinned, then a thought came to her, "you do know Carly is gonna be here, right?"

Taylor laughed lightly at Rachel playing matchmaker, "yes, I know that. She doesn't know I'm here, though. I purposely never told her. I want to surprise her," he admitted, "and I thought you were gonna lay off once we started talking," he added playfully.

"I was simply mentioning the situation," she replied with a blush.

Noah smirked, "sure you are," he teased, reaching over to pat her on her shoulder. Returning his hand to the wheel he glanced at the phone, "so man, what's up?"

"Not much. Mom and Makena are downstairs at the pool and I'm still in my pajamas. Soaking in the quiet time before I have to get back to Vancouver for filming," Taylor admitted.

"When is that?" Rachel wondered, knowing he'd been off for a few months.

"End of this month," Taylor replied, "hard to believe the series will be over when we're done filming this time. Seems like just yesterday we were filming 'Twilight' in Oregon."

"But Stephanie Meyer could write more books for the series, so it might not be the end," Rachel offered.

"True, but it still could be years before a new movie would be made, and it also depends on who she puts in the book," Taylor explained, "so for now, it's the end. Maybe one day, I'll play Jacob Black again, but at the moment, the next few months of filming will be it."

"That is true," Rachel agreed, "that sucks."

"Yeah, it does, but I will still keep in touch with some of the cast members, so it's all good," Taylor paused, deciding to change the subject, "our dads have been talking off and on and sounds like you guys will be here soon, so dad made reservations for all of us at six-thirty, for dinner," he told them, "hope you guys are alright with Chinese."

"Sounds good to me," Noah commented, seeing Rachel, Deborah and Arin nod in agreement, "and so does everyone else."

"Great!" Taylor said something away from the phone and then turned back to it, "alright, I'm gonna go. Dad said since you guys will be here soon, he's going to let my mom and sister know so they can get back here to get ready, which means I need to get ready before they return or they're going to hog the bathroom. I forgot this hotel only had one bathroom in a suite," he laughed, "so I'll talk to you guys in a little while."

Noah nodded, "alright, man, talk to you soon."

...

Within fifteen minutes, the Berrys and the Puckermans were pulling up to the seventy-three floor Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, right on the Detroit River, across from the town of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. "We're staying here?" Rachel gasped, looking up at the building as Noah followed her dad's SUV towards the parking garage.

"Yep, all of us; the club, too," Noah confirmed with a smile.

"How is this possible?" Rachel wondered in disbelief, "I know the club's budget wouldn't cover a place like this."

"Relax, babe. Dad, Mr. Schue and the Show Choir Board agreed on this place. I needed to stay somewhere more secure and the places the board usually works with for the clubs are not," he paused, rubbing his neck as he tried to find the words, "well, for students they are, but for me, not so much. The board understood the situation and agreed to let dad make the hotel reservations where we needed and they'd go along with it. That, and with the additional money we're getting from the Cheerios budget, now that Sue's not here, the club had plenty of money to cover the rooms."

Rachel let what Noah said sink in and nodded, "okay, I understand that," she looked back at the building, currently lit up because it was dark outside, "this is amazing! Though I'm curious what kind of additional security you need while we're here."

"A place willing to block out the whole floor, so we're the only ones on it and have someone at the door of the elevator on our floor all day, every day, not letting anyone past without proper identification. I'm used to this. We have to do it when I'm on tour, too," he told her, "since people already know we're in Detroit for Regionals, some will figure out where we're staying, so fans may start hanging around the hotel. Some will get inside and try to find out what floor we're on and sometimes they'll even follow someone onto the elevator, in hopes of seeing me, but there's always a guard at the elevator door, checking IDs or passes."

"Oh, wow, I didn't realize it was that serious, but now that I think about it, it could be dangerous for you, especially in a strange city," Rachel admitted, "I've heard horror stories of what fans will do to see their favorite actor or singer."

"Yeah. Thankfully, dad, Tim and Alex have things under control. The three of them, with their backgrounds, keep all of us safe," Noah smiled, "sometimes I tease them for going a little overboard, but I know why they do it."

"Dad's overprotective, too," Arin added with a grin from the backseat.

Noah laughed lightly, "yeah, but he does it out of love, so I don't mind," he replied, coming to a stop in a VIP parking space in the garage, right next to their dads' SUV. "Time for me to hide," he commented, tugging his jacket's hood up over his head.

"I don't see any paparazzi," Rachel commented, only seeing Tim, Alex and two hotel employees walking towards them with luggage carts, to help them take their bags upstairs.

"I know, but it's habit. All it takes is for one person to recognize me," he replied, tuning off the engine.

The two families all got out of their vehicles and stretched for the first time after the trip from Lima and moved to the back of the cars to greet Tim and Alex.

"Welcome to Detroit," Alex said, waving at them.

"Hey guys," Noah nodded at them.

"Rachel, good to see you. You're looking well. Glad to hear you're healing," Tim told her.

"Hello and thanks," Rachel smiled, shouldering her purse.

"We can take care of the luggage, if you want to take Arin and Rachel upstairs to see the Lautners," Ethan suggested, holding out his hand to Noah.

Noah raised a curious eyebrow at him, "what?"

Ethan smirked, "your keys."

"Oh!" Noah laughed lightly, "sorry," he handed his keys over and grabbed his backpack.

Alex held out three lanyards to them, "you'll need these to get past the guard."

"What is this?" Rachel asked, taking the black neck strap with a red, black and white plastic ID tag hanging from it, with several pieces of information on it, including her school picture, which made her think it was her student ID from McKinley.

"Consider it a VIP or All-Access Pass to a concert of mine," Noah smirked, draping his around his neck as Arin put hers on, "we need these with us at all times."

"We had them made up for everyone joining us this weekend, so when the rest of the club gets here tomorrow, we'll give them theirs," Ethan explained.

"Oh, so this is the ID you were talking about in the car," Rachel nodded in understanding, putting it around her neck.

"Yeah, so in case someone didn't bring a picture ID with them, this will work for it," Noah told her.

"The guard upstairs also has a list of names of people allowed on the floor, so if you lose that, just use your regular ID or be with someone who has one," Tim added.

"Okay, wow, this is..." Rachel blushed, "getting real."

Noah put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead, "oh it's definitely real, babe."

In Tim's hands were two few stacks of hotel key cards and handed them to the Berrys and Puckermans, "the room numbers are written on the cards and Noah knows how to figure out what floor you're on. The rooms are next door to each other, even though the numbers don't seem like it, and the Lautners are on the other side of the Puckermans," he explained, keeping the floor and room numbers from being said out loud, in case someone was listening.

"Alright," Noah replied, "we'll go up to the Lautners, so you can find us there."

"Arin, stay with your brother. No wondering off," Deborah warned.

"I know," she sighed, used to hearing that when they visited Ethan and Noah on tour, "I'll stay with Noah and Rachel," she promised.

"She's just reminding you," Ethan commented hugging Arin briefly.

Joining the teens, Arin, Rachel and Noah finally made their way into the hotel, through the garage's lobby entrance, and Rachel looked around. The lobby was quiet at the moment, with dim lighting to reflect the evening time and gave the features a mild glow. The upscale lobby was also decorated with various themes from Detroit's history and what the city was known for. Off to one side, it even had a large flowing fountain that glowed in random patterns, as a centerpiece to the lobby.

Noah guided his curious girlfriend and sister towards the elevators and found the few that went up to their floor, so he hit the 'up' button, and waited for one to open, "it's a nice place."

"Yes, it is," Rachel nodded in agreement, taking her camera out to snap a few photos of the fountain while they waited.

As the doors of the elevator opened, Arin skipped on and Noah stepped into the doorway, holding the doors open, so Rachel could finished what she was doing. After a few moments, Rachel moved onto the elevator and Noah moved to the button panel, hitting the one marked '70'. Rachel remembered what Tim said in the parking garage, "Noah, what did Tim mean about you knowing how to figure out what floor we're staying on?" She asked curiously as the elevator began to climb to their destination.

"It's the first two numbers in the room numbers," Noah replied, "many hotels around the country do that, so I've seen it a lot. We've also stayed here, so I recognized the pattern."

"That makes sense," Rachel agreed, briefly taking her key card from her pocket to see what he was talking about, before putting it away and slipping her good arm around his back to lean against him, "and I'm guessing he didn't say the floor or room numbers, in case someone overheard?"

"Exactly," Noah nodded, draping his arm around her shoulders, "also; did you notice there were two sets of elevators?"

"Yes, I did notice that," she replied. "Why is that?"

"There are only three of the six elevators that go up to the higher levels. I think the levels above sixty-five have the fancy suites and penthouses on them. It makes security a little easier if less people have access to the higher up floors," he explained.

"Now that you explain all that, I get it. I always knew that security was an important part, but I guess never thought much about all the details that have to be taken care of," she admitted, "it makes me remember something we talked about when we first met."

Noah eyed her, remembering back to the day they met, "oh yeah? What about it?"

"That I really don't know what it's like to be in the public eye," she told him, "there's a lot more to it than just having a talent."

"There is," he agreed with a nod, but before he could continue, the elevator came to a stop on the seventieth floor.

As soon as the doors opened, they were met by a hotel security guard, so the three of them showed their passes to him and he let them past without a problem. Continuing down the hallway, they found where they'd be staying, but instead of going in their rooms, they went to the other side of the Puckerman's room and knocked on the door of the Lautner's suite. Inside they could hear the TV on and it sounded like music was playing, and Noah was just about to knock again when Taylor opened the door, "hey! You guys made it!"

"We did. Just got here. Our parents are getting our luggage," Noah replied as the three stepped into the room, and he gave Taylor a quick hug and handshake in greeting.

"Nice to see you again, Taylor," Rachel said as she hugged him next.

"You too, Rachel. You're looking better than when I saw you last," he told her as they pulled apart.

"Thanks. I feel a lot better, too," she smiled.

"Hey Taylor. Is Makena watching 'Big Time Rush'?" Arin asked curiously as she hugged him.

"She is. Are you into them, too?" He wondered.

"Yep! They're awesome!" She nodded, waving and skipping further inside, over to the TV are where Makena was.

"What's 'Big Time Rush'?" Rachel asked as she and Noah stepped inside and Taylor closed the door.

"It's a new TV show on Nickelodeon. Four guys, who are friends, move to LA to become a band called 'Big Time Rush'. The guys, in real life, are like our age or a little older and are a real group now," Noah explained, "I've only seen clips. It doesn't seem too bad and the guys all sing, dance and play some instruments, so it sounds cool, but I haven't met them or really heard their music to really judge anything from that," he added with a shrug.

Rachel nodded in understanding, "I'll have to check them out."

"Well, come on in. It's on," Taylor laughed lightly, "she's had it on since they got back from the pool. There's a marathon on before a new episode tonight," he paused, glancing at his sister, "which we might not be here for," he directed the comment toward his sister and Arin.

"I know," Makena replied, "they will replay it, so we can see later."

"Speaking of later, did Rachel message you about the premiere of the 'We Are The World' video? You didn't mention it during our call," Noah asked Taylor, glancing at Rachel.

"You didn't say to message him," she admitted honestly.

"It's alright. I knew I'd see him shortly," Noah turned to look at Taylor, "tonight at nine our time is the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Olympics. The video is being played right before the start, so I'm hoping we'll finish dinner and can be back here, or near a TV for it, because I haven't seen it yet."

"I'm sure we will be. Our reservations aren't until six-thirty and I can't believe we'd take two and a half hours to eat," Taylor replied, "but we can make sure we are back for it. I think it'd be cool to watch the ceremony, anyway."

"Is that why you haven't gone back to film in Vancouver?" Rachel wondered, realizing that's where he was filming Twilight.

"Yeah," Taylor nodded, "they decided to wait until after the games to go back. Works for me. I get a nice long vacation."

"Nothing wrong with that," Noah agreed with a smile.

"I thought I heard voices out here," Taylor's mom, also named Deborah, commented, as she and her husband, Daniel, came out of one of the suite's bedrooms, "hey kids."

"Hey," Noah smiled, waving at them.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lautner," Rachel replied, unable to remember if they'd ever told her she could call them anything else.

Taylor's mom moved over to Rachel and smiled at her, "I'm so glad you're alright, Rachel," the woman told her, reaching out to rest her hands on her shoulders, "and you can call us Deborah and Daniel. I think we've told you that before," she added.

Rachel blushed, "you might have, but it's slipped my mind if you did," she said honestly, "and thank you."

"Is it alright that I hug you?" She wondered, unsure how she would react.

"It's okay," Rachel nodded, stepping closer and wrapping her good arm around her waist, "I'm not jumpy around people I know anymore; at least I don't think I am."

"That's completely understandable if you are. I just didn't want to freak you out," she admitted, "Taylor and Noah's parents have been keeping us updated on how you're doing, but it's not like seeing for ourselves."

As the two pulled away, Rachel smiled at her, "thank you for the concern. I'm doing alright. Some ways, I'm better than others, but I'm feeling a lot like my old self."

"Good," she smiled, stepping to hug Noah, "and we're all looking forward to cheering you guys on this weekend. I've never been to a competition like this before."

"It's definitely going to be interesting. There will be a lot more schools here than just the ones from Ohio, so I'm curious how everything will go. I have a feeling I'll be spending most of my time hiding," Noah commented.

"We'll figure something out, Noah," Rachel slid her arm around is waist and kissed his cheek, "relax."

"I'm tryin', but I can't help thinking about it. We've all been through a lot the past few months and I just want this weekend to go smoothly," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders and trying to relax as he slipped an arm around Rachel.

"I say we go to the gym early in the morning and work out. You look like you could use it," Taylor suggested.

"I think that's a great idea," Rachel smiled, looking at Noah.

"Yeah, it is. We'll figure out details later," Noah agreed, just as someone knocked on the door, "that's probably our parents."

...

Taylor's dad moved around the teens and looked to see who it was and pulled the door open for their parents and Noah's bodyguards. After brief greetings and a short discussion, the Lautners finished getting ready to go and soon the three families and Noah's bodyguards were heading down to the parking garage and making their way towards the restaurant Taylor had chosen. When they checked in, they were taken right into a private dinning room set up for them and once everyone was seated and their drink orders had been taken, the families settled into various conversations.

"So how does it feel to be eighteen?" Noah asked Taylor from across the table.

"No different," Taylor smirked, "and thanks for the birthday messages yesterday," he added, glancing at Noah and Rachel, "I think I replied, but if I didn't, sorry about that."

"You did reply," Rachel admitted, "well, at least to me you did."

"Same here," Noah confirmed.

"Good. We were getting ready to go yesterday when you messaged, so I couldn't remember if I did or not," he replied, sitting back.

"Did you do anything for your birthday?" Rachel wondered.

"We did cake yesterday afternoon, before we left LA. I was waiting for this weekend to hang out with my friends, you know?" Taylor commented.

"Understandable," Noah nodded, "that's how I like to spend my birthday. With my friends and family."

Rachel smiled at her boyfriend, "I can't wait to spend our birthdays together this year."

"Same here, babe," he agreed, reaching out to take her hand in his, "have an idea where you want to be for your birthday?" He wondered.

"What do you mean?" She asked, then blushed, "oh, as in at home or somewhere else?"

"Yeah. Think on it. I'm pretty open and I'm sure we can make arrangements for a little trip if we wanted," Noah grinned.

With her cheeks flushed, she nodded, "okay, I will."

Noah turned back to Taylor and smiled at him, "how was the premiere? We haven't talked about it yet."

"It was fun. A little weird when I'm posing on the red carpet with Taylor and thinking about someone else," Taylor admitted, pausing when Rachel let out a faint squeak from excitement and then bit her lip as she blushed. Smirking, he shook his head, "I had a feeling you'd do that."

"I'm sorry! I really am trying to stay out of this, but I can't help it," she murmured, ducking her head in embarrassment.

Laughing lightly, Taylor continued on, "the fans were awesome at the premiere. I was nervous, but I had fun. There's a lot going on in the movie, so I know a lot of people said it was hard to keep up," he shrugged.

"Doesn't it hit theaters tomorrow for everyone?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, it does. They wanted it to come out just before Valentine's Day," Taylor glanced at Rachel, "and no, Carly and I are still just friends, but if she's still here for the day, then I'm sure we'll hang out together."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Rachel grinned, "and have we thought about what we are doing this weekend?

"Not really. You said you wanted to go sight-seeing, but I don't think we're going to have much time until Sunday. None of us are leaving until Monday morning, so I'm sure we can figure something out," Noah commented.

"We definitely have time to talk about ideas tomorrow," Taylor suggested, "since we'll be at the venue early."

"Why is that?" Rachel wondered, "we're not going to be here when the club arrives?"

"We've got a private section in the upper level of the venue to be in, so we're not right in the center of everyone. It'll be more secure. We," Noah motioned across to him and Taylor, "are going to get there early, before too many people arrive and see us. You're welcome to join us, but I was kind of hoping you'd hang out in the hotel until everyone gets there to show them around a bit. To give them their passes and all that," Noah explained. "It's up to you. I was going to talk to you about it later, but since it came up now, I figured we could talk about it."

"Oh, I hadn't even thought about that. I can stay at the hotel. I've seen some of the schools perform in the past and I'd rather not see many before we go on. I know we've practiced a lot, but as we were coming up here, I started getting even more nervous. It's a big deal," Rachel admitted, taking a sip of her drink.

"Babe, you're going to be great," Noah assured her, rubbing her back, "you've got nothing to be nervous about."

"I hope you're right. I keep telling myself the same thing, but I can't help getting butterflies," she replied. "I've been performing for years, so I shouldn't be like this, but things are different now."

"We all get nervous," Taylor told her, "but you're gonna be great, Rachel. Just relax and have fun."

Noah nodded in agreement, "exactly. And everything will work out in the end."

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded, "thanks. You guys are right. I can do this," she smiled, "everything that happened really threw me off, so I guess maybe I just need to perform; not just practice, and it'll shake the nerves."

"That will definitely work. Once you get out there, where you're comfortable, the nerves will be gone and you can enjoy it," Noah returned her smile, "and I'm there if things get to be too much."

"I know you are. Thank you," she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips, "I'm really glad I've got you to lean on."

...

Continuing conversations until dinner arrived, the large group settled in and went on talking over their meal. Keeping an eye on the time, but not rushing to eat, they finished up a little before eight and and decided to head back to the hotel and order desserts from room service, to have while they watched the Olympics ceremony on TV. When they returned to their hotel, they headed up to their floor and after showing passes to the security guard, they headed for their own rooms and agreed to meet in the Puckerman's room around eight-thirty. This gave the newest arrivals a chance to unpack and settle in for the weekend.

When the Puckermans and Berrys got into their rooms, next door to each other, they found they had a private connection to the rooms, without needing to go into the hallway. Noah hadn't been sure they'd be connected, so he didn't mention it, but now that he knew, they had a lot more options. Each suite had two bedrooms, with a large bed in each. After a short discussion, the four parents let Noah stay in Rachel's room, since they'd been staying together for the past few weeks and hadn't given the parents reason to distrust what they were doing. They also knew it could be a tough change for Rachel, being in a strange place, and with the competition that weekend, they didn't want to change too many things all at once.

Rachel was surprised they were letting them do that, but was happy to have the company. She had wondered about sleeping alone, while away from home, but now she didn't need to worry; she'd have her boyfriend if anything happened.

...

As decided, at eight-thirty, the families and Tim and Alex, met in the Puckerman's suite and the desserts Ethan had ordered arrived at the same time, with a centerpiece being a large cake with 'Happy 18th Birthday Taylor' written on it. Taylor hadn't expected it, but thanked them and after his dad lit the candles, everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' to him and he took a moment to make a wish, before blowing out the small flames.

Taylor's dad and the moms helped cut the cake up and passed it out, as everyone else began to find a place near the TV to sit and watch, and Noah pulled up the station broadcasting the ceremony. It hadn't started yet, but the broadcasters were already talking about it and just a few minutes before nine, they began talking about the video Noah had been a part of. They explained, for those who didn't know, that the song was originally recorded in 1985, by various recording artists popular at the time and was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. Due to the disastrous earthquake that shook Haiti just a month prior, Lionel and other current popular artists, including Wyclef Jean, a native Haitian, decided to remake the song to help collect money to support the people of Haiti, and invited a large group of familiar faces to partake in the remake. After the announcers explanation, they finally introduced the premiere and began playing the video.

The song's introduction began, while the the screen was covered in black, with the 25th anniversary logo in the center. Quickly, sliver writing on the black background began to appear and they realized it was the autographs to all the people who were involved and now Noah knew why he had to sign what he did.

As the background disappeared, the introduction continued to play, video clips filmed in Haiti flashed over the screen, showing the devastation of the country as well as the people trying to rebuild. Before they could really soak in what they were seeing, the first soloist's voice started, and Noah appeared on the screen, in the studio, singing the first few lines of the song, "_there comes a time, when we heed a certain call. When the world must come together as one._" The last few lines of Noah's solo, was joined in harmony by Jennifer Hudson and another artist who appeared on screen for their short solo."_There are people dying. Oh, then it's time to lend a hand to life, the greatest gift of all. We can't go on, pretending day by day, that someone, somehow will soon make a change. We are all a part of God's great big family and the truth, you know love is all we need._" As the first verse finished, the video showed the other soloists, Jennifer Nettles, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett and Mary J Blige in the studio recording their parts, while adding clips from Haiti in between.

When Rachel saw Noah, she smiled at him proudly, snuggling up against him as they continued to watch and planned to talk to him about the whole video after it was over.

"_We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving. There's a choice we're making. We're saving our own lives. It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me._" The first chorus played, surprising everyone at what they did. Michael Jackson, part of the original recording in 1985, passed away in 2009, so he couldn't 'be' a part of the current remake, but the producers were able to remaster his voice and the video of him singing the original, and added it to the current video, showing him singing the chorus, along with his sister, Janet. The last few lines of the chorus were sung by Barbra Streisand and that caused a gasp from Rachel as she watched, remembering the day this video was filmed and the surprise her boyfriend brought back for her, after he got to meet Barbra that day.

"_Well, send them your heart, so they'll know that someone cares, so their cries for help will not be in vain. We can't let them suffer, no, we cannot turn away. Right now they need a helping hand. Nou se mond la, we are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day so lets start giving. Oh... There's a choice we're making. We're saving our own lives. It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me._" Miley had started the second verse, followed by Enrique Iglesias, Jamie Foxx, Wyclef Jean, who threw in some Haitian language, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Pink, among a few others, showing them recording their parts, while balancing time with clips from Haiti and the people of the country.

The bridge began with another voice and video clip of Michael Jackson singing it from 1985, and he was then joined by Usher, Celine Dion and Fergie, "_when you're down and out, there seems no hope at all, but if you just believe, there's no way we can fall. Well, well, well, well, let's realize! Oh! That a change can only come, when we stand together as one..._"

Appearing on the screen was the huge group of all the soloists and other artists who had joined in the for the chorus. "_We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving,_" the female voices sang, giving the words a higher pitch, before turning over the chorus to the guys, giving a deeper tone to the next part, "_there's a choice we're making. We're saving our own lives. It's true we'll make a better day,_" the guys sang, before everyone joined in, to finish it out, "_just you and me. We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so lets start giving!_"

While the chorus continued on, singing vocal runs and keeping up with the music, Lil Wayne sang next part, overlapped with a guitar solo from Santana, a famous guitarist. "_There's a choice we're making. We're saving our own lives. It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me._"

They repeated the chorus several times, most of the time being the large group, while other artists added in additional lines to make the track richer, including Akon, Jamie Foxx imitating Ray Charles and T-Pain. Behind the singers, various video screens played clips from Haiti, and they also showed more clips from the country.

During the chorus, as well as through the whole video, everyone in the suite had been pointing out people they recognized. Arin and Makena thought it was 'so cool' that Noah was standing so close to the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus, while the others were shocked at who all was there. Deborah, Ethan, Noah, Alex and Tim had seen a lot of them that day, but now after seeing the finished product and realizing who all was there, they realized just how big it was and everyone was proud of Noah for being a part of it.

After the long chorus, LL Cool J, Noah, Wyclef Jean, Will-I-Am, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and a few other rappers appeared on the screen, in the same place the chorus had been. LL, Wyclef, Will-I-Am and Noah began to rap the next part, while the other artists added background vocals to it, and the video showed the chorus group, clapping along to the rap's beat, "_we all need somebody that we can lean on when you wake up look around and see that your dreams gone. When the earth quakes we'll help you make it through the storm. When the floor breaks a magic carpet to stand on. We are the world united by love so strong. When the radio isn't on you can hear the songs. A guidin' light on the dark road your walking on. A sign post to find the dreams you thought was gone. Someone to help you move the obstacles you stumbled on. Someone to help you rebuild after the rubble's gone. We are the world connected by a common bond. Love! The whole planet sing it along!_"

Moving back into the full chorus, more artists added additional lines to the song, but most of it was just the large group singing along. There were several angles being showed, and Noah was seen in a lot of them, so Rachel couldn't wait to buy the video on iTunes to watch it up close to see him and really get to take in everything.

Wyclef Jean, along with some children added some Haitian words and Will-I-Am had a shorter rap he did, mentioning other disasters, like Hurricane Katrina and the Indonesian quake from years prior, both of which did major damage and killed a large amount of people. After some more clips from Haiti and the chorus again, the video came to an end with Wyclef speaking in Haitian.

Everyone in the suite began to clap as the TV went to a commercial and Rachel leaned in to kiss her boyfriend, "Noah, that was an amazing video! I'm proud of you for being a part of it. You did a wonderful job on your solo and the rap with the other guys."

"Thanks," Noah blushed, "it was an honor to be asked and to be involved in it. I'm glad you guys like it. It's definitely an experience I'll never forget."

"I totally get ya. Congrats, man. It's a really awesome video," Taylor smiled, "I knew about it, because you were going to be in it, but I didn't realize just how many artists would be there."

"I didn't know either. I saw a lot of them, but I only talked to a few," Noah admitted, remembering getting Celine and Barbra's autographs for Rachel.

"You told me about that day," Taylor glanced at Rachel, "how shocked were you when you got their autographs?"

Rachel's cheeks flushed, "really shocked," she admitted honestly, "I'm still stunned. I've looked at them several times and I have to practically pinch myself to realize they're real."

"You saw all three of us in the video," Noah commented, motioning to the TV, "I was not going to spend the whole day that close to them without getting them to sign something for you."

"I really appreciate what you did, Noah. It really means a lot to know you were thinking about me, even if we weren't together," Rachel smiled.

Noah pressed a kiss to her lips, "I'll always be thinking about you, babe."

...

Everyone settled in to watch the watch the opening ceremony for the Olympics for the next few hours and for everyone, it was one of the few times they'd been able to watch the whole ceremony, instead of catching bits and pieces, like they had in the past.

As it got later in the evening, Noah and Taylor made plans to work out in the hotel's gym for a few hours in the morning and everyone talked about the next day. When the ceremony was over, they all said 'goodnight' and Tim, Alex and the Lautners were the first to head back to their rooms. The Berrys and the Puckermans talked for a few short minutes, before Noah, Rachel and her dads headed off into their room, leaving Deborah, Ethan and Arin in their room for the night.

Getting into the room they were using, Rachel and Noah changed into their pajamas and shared the suite's only bathroom with her dads, while everyone got ready for bed. When the young couple finally crawled into bed, Rachel realized something, "oh, no!" She gasped.

"What is it?" Noah asked quickly, concerned she was uncomfortable about something.

Rachel sighed, "I was going to bring the dreamcatcher you hung up in my room! I haven't really had any bad dreams since you put it up, so I thought I should bring it, but I totally forgot!"

Noah smirked, "I can take care of that," he said honestly, crawling out of bed and moving towards his bags.

"How?" Rachel wondered.

Opening a side pocket to one of his bags, he pulled out a round container, the same size as two DVD cases stacked together and moved back over to the bed, "I just happen to have one with me," he admitted, opening the box and pulling out a small dreamcatcher, with the body about half he size as the one he'd given her, so it was easier to pack and travel with. "I've had this since before I was 'discovered'. I had issues when I was a kid with being in strange places on trips, and we picked this up on one of our family vacations. Since then, it's gone with me on every trip I've ever taken. It's been all over the world with me," he explained, moving to Rachel's side of the bed and used a small thumbtack to hang it up over the bed, since the headboard was pretty short, "it's definitely smaller than the one I gave you, but it works the same. This is why I didn't mention anything about you bringing yours because I had this with me."

Rachel watched him hang up the small item and smiled, "this is awesome. I never knew you had this. I don't remember seeing it up, but then again, I haven't been looking for it until now."

"I have one in New York at our place, so I didn't need this one there, but when I travel it's in my bag. Sometimes I put it up, sometimes I don't, so that's why you haven't noticed it. I didn't put it up when we were in LA," he replied, moving back around the bed and climbing in again, "I got your back, babe," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her lips, "and definitely your front, too."

Returning his kiss, she giggled lightly at his comment and smiled, "I know you do, Noah, and I'm so thankful for that everyday," she admitted, settling against his chest.

"I'm just as thankful," he replied, helping adjust their pillows so they could get comfortable.

After a few moments, they had the pillows where they wanted and relaxed, "you know, that video really made me think."

"Oh yeah? About what?" Noah wondered.

"It made me realize that what happened to me is nothing compared to what happened to them, or to any of the people who've lost everything in a disaster like that," she admitted.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying, but what happened to you is just as devastating, babe. You can't compare yourself to a natural disaster," he said softly.

"I know I shouldn't, but I can't help thinking about it," she sighed, "I've been thinking about a lot of other things, too."

Noah rubbed her back gently and pulled the blankets further up over them, "do you want to talk about them?"

Rachel shrugged, "some of them, no, but I've had something on my mind for a while. We've kind of talk about it before, but tonight when I brought it up in the elevator, I can't shake my thoughts."

"Brought up what?" Noah thought about their trips in the elevator, "oh, about our little disagreement when we first met?"

"Yeah," she nodded, biting her lip, "I've been thinking of all the things I've learned since I've met you and I realized I have no idea what it's really like to be 'famous'. All I'd seen before was from interviews, award shows, candid photos, red carpet photos. I never knew what really went on behind-the-scenes. I had an idea, but I was way off. There's so much more and what I know now, I've learned from you and some of those things, I never even thought I'd have to know."

"Babe, don't dwell on this. You just didn't know, because you never had an opportunity to be involved in my type of life. Since we met, you've had the chance to see what it's like and have picked things up from those experiences," he explained, kissing her forehead, "you're lucky, too. I didn't have that chance. I was thrown into this life without a clue and had to learn along the way. Now you have an opportunity to see what it's like, so in a few years, when you're a famous Broadway actress, you'll have an idea what to expect, so it won't be as much of a sock, like it was for me when I first became famous."

Rachel was silent for a long moment, soaking in what he said, "I never thought about it that way. You're right. I am getting to see everything from your point-of-view and not just make assumptions from videos or pictures online. I'm very lucky, but," she shifted closer and kissed him, "none of that matters to me, honestly. I accept Puck because he's a part of you, but he's not the reason I'm in love with you. You know that, right?"

"I do," Noah assured her, resting his hand on her cheek, "I never once thought you were with me because I'm famous."

"Good," she leaned in and kissed him again, "because I'm in love with you, Noah Aaron Puckerman, of Lima, Ohio."

Noah smiled at her, "and I love you, too, Rachel Marie Berry, who lives in Lima, Ohio."

...

**Song, video and lyrics used:  
**'We Are The World' - Artists for Haiti... The 25th anniversary edition, made in 2010... I don't own, I'm just borrowing for this work of fiction, so credit goes to the real owners! You can still buy the song and video on iTunes; I definitely recommend it. I bought it when it was first released. You can also find the video on YouTube... In the actual video and song, Justin Bieber has the first solo. I took Justin out and put Noah in, which is why Noah has the first solo. I guess, in a way, Puck is the Justin Bieber of this story universe, because they're popular around the same time, though from what little I know about Justin, Puck is different. I have nothing good or bad to say about Justin; I'm just not into his music, which is why he doesn't exist in this story universe.

...

A/N4: Happy 3rd Birthday, Starlight! Hope you all enjoyed the birthday update! Review and let me know! I first was going to update this story around the time of Taylor Lautner's birthday (he turned 21 on February 11th), since they celebrate Taylor's birthday in the chapter, but I didn't get a chance to, so I decided to wait until Starlight turned 3. Officially I posted the first chapter March 1, 2010, on my LJ, but due to some FF issues, I couldn't post it until the next morning, which is why FF lists the publish date as March 2... I want to thank you all, so much, for your continued support over the years! I promise I will continue writing Puckleberry! I have lots of plans for this story, along with 'Out of the Blue' and my other WIPs. I also have 2 unposted WIPs to publish one day and there are a lot of new ideas in my head, so there is plenty more Puckleberry for me to write; I'm definitely sticking around! I hope you all do, too!

A/N5: I apologize that my updates have been pretty far apart, but I'm working on that. I'm finally feeling better and my mojo has returned, so I'm catching up with my fics as much as I can right now (while dealing with my family issues - see below). I still have a ways to go before I'm completely caught up, but I'm getting there. Please bear with me. Thanks for all your understanding!

A/N6: I've been dealing with a lot of family medical issues. My dad, after everything his doctor's tried (and after opinions from several specialists), the damage from the infection in his foot, and from another issue, is so bad that it can't be repaired and the only option is amputation. We don't want it to happen, but the doctors' are confident he could be up and walking with a prosthetic within a few months after the surgery, which would be great, because he hasn't been able to walk because of this foot issue and some other problems, so we're trying to stay positive on this, but it's still hard... My mom has a mass on her lung as well as a pelvic mass growing that her cancer doctor saw in a routine CT scan in January and was concerned about. She has the CT scan done every December or January since she finished cervical cancer treatments in December 2010 and what he found in this one from January 2013 wasn't there in December of 2011, so now she's in the process of getting some tests set up to find out what they are... We're praying it isn't cancer again, and it could be many other things, too, but this not knowing and waiting really sucks! It's a scary time right now, and being an only child makes it harder for me, because it's happening to my parents at the same time... Thankfully, I have my writing, which really helps me deal with everything and I have my friends to vent to. I'm also really glad to have you all and your support and understanding. It really means a lot! Thank you!

...


	49. Chapter 49

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing them for the fun of writing, BUT I do own the plot, ideas and original characters.

A/N: I edited this chapter, so all mistakes are mine.

A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D

...

A/N3: Keep in mind, within this AU... There is no Puck/Quinn, no Finn/Rachel, Quinn is NOT pregnant at all, Puck's dad never left when he was a kid and Puck will be OOC so yes, totally AU, though you'll see similarities to the episodes.

...

**Saturday, February 13, 2010**

Though the goal was to sleep through the night, after just a few hours, Rachel was awake, but for once it wasn't because of a bad dream. This time, it was because she couldn't get comfortable. Her boyfriend, who usually slept on his side, with his arms wrapped around her, had somehow ended up on his stomach, arms wrapped around his pillow, sleeping a few feet away from her instead.

"_I wish I could do that,_" she thought, unable to wrap both arms around her pillow comfortably, because of her cast, "_he looks so cute._" With a smile, she rolled towards the nightstand and grabbed her phone, snapping a quick picture of him, before inching towards him, trying to snuggle up next to him to stay warm. "You're making this difficult, Noah," she commented softly, smirking as she tried to relax next to him, slipping her good hand under his shirt, resting her hand on his warm back.

Rachel's movements caught Noah's attention, because the feelings didn't go along with his dream, so he slowly pulled himself from dreamland, saw how he was laying and the way Rachel was curling up to him, "hey, sorry. Must have tossed and turned."

"It's okay. I just woke up because I got uncomfortable. My pillow disappeared," she replied with a grin, "did I wake you?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "but it's alright. I can get back to my dream," he added, adjusting himself and returning to his side next to her.

"Oh, really? It's that good?" Rachel wondered, letting him settle where he wanted, before she leaned against him, "wanna share?"

Noah kissed her forehead and slid his arm around her to hold her close, "just getting some ideas we could do for Spring Break this year. I'll tell you more when it gets closer and we have a better picture of what we'll have time to do," he murmured.

"I can't wait," she smiled, "I know some of it will be Nationals, but I'm sure we'll have time to do other things, too."

"We definitely will," he assured her, kissing her forehead.

Relaxing contently against her boyfriend, Rachel settled in, "did we ever find out what time sunrise is?"

"I can't remember. Let's look," he replied, reaching to get his cell phone from the nightstand. Pulling up the internet, he looked for what he wanted and turned the screen towards her, "looks like around seven-thirty," he explained, seeing it was just after one in the morning, "plenty of time to sleep until then."

"It is," she agreed, "are you going to roll away again?" She wondered, glancing behind him to see he only had a few feet to go before he'd be at the edge.

Noah laughed lightly, "no, I probably won't, but just in case, scoot back," he smirked and once she moved closer to the middle of the bed, he followed and adjusted their pillows, "better?"

"Yes. Last thing we need is you rolling off the bed, hitting your head and being unable to perform," she told him.

"Oh, so that's your only concern?" He pouted lightly, "and here I thought you were concerned about my health," he teased.

Rachel blushed at his comment, "of course I care, Noah, but I just can't help..."

Noah leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips, silencing her words, "I know, babe. I'm just teasing you. Relax."

Taking a deep breath, Rachel felt her cheeks continue to flush and nodded, "okay... I'm not really awake to think straight."

Kissing her once more, this time on the forehead, Noah tugged her closer and pulled the blankets back over them, "I get it," he assured her, "now, let's get back to sleep. We've got a big day coming up."

Nodding at his suggestion, Rachel happily settled against him and closed her eyes, "night, again."

Rubbing her back and letting his own eyes drift closed once more, "same to you, babe."

...

Even after checking to see what time the sun came up in Detroit, Rachel and Noah both forgot to set an alarm to wake up in time to see it. Luckily Taylor and Noah had made plans for early in the morning just after sunrise, so he was up and knocking on the Berry's door just after seven-fifteen.

"Morning, Taylor," David greeted, moving aside to let him in, "I know you and Noah had plans, but Noah and Rachel are still asleep."

"Really? Sunrise is in a little bit and they wanted to watch it," he admitted, glancing at his watch, "mind if I go wake them?"

"Not at all. I'm sure they just forgot to set an alarm," David replied, motioning towards the room they were in.

Taylor nodded and moved towards their room, knocking lightly. After no response, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, glad to see they were both dressed decent and contemplated exactly how to wake them up. Rachel was on her back, Noah was laying on his side next to her, with one arm draped over her body and both were still sound asleep. Glancing to the side, Taylor saw Noah's phone and got an idea. Kicking off his shoes, he quietly moved to turn the ringer volume all the way up and knowing what his ringtone was set as on Noah's phone, Taylor carefully laid the phone right between them and called Noah's number.

Within seconds, Noah's phone began to loudly howl repeatedly and Taylor stepped up on the end of the bed and walked up between them, lightly bouncing on the bed, "time to get up," he commented with a grin.

Snapping from the deep sleep he'd been in, to a noisy howling, the bed shaking and Taylor's voice, Noah woke immediately, "what? What's going on?" He asked, glancing up at his friend.

"Good morning! It's almost sunrise!" Taylor replied with a smile, plopping down on the middle of the bed between them and put his phone away.

The howling had woken Rachel, but it wasn't annoying enough to get her moving, though once she heard voices, she opened her eyes. At first, she saw her boyfriend, rubbing his face with his free hand and then she turned her gaze a little and gasped when she saw Taylor sitting between them, "Taylor! What are you doing here?" She wondered, sitting up quickly and instinctively tugging the blankets up around her, even though she didn't need to cover up.

Smirking at her reaction, Taylor motioned towards the windows, "sun's coming up. Don't think either of you set an alarm," he explained, "I came over to get Noah for our workout and your dads said you guys were still sleeping, so I came up with a creative way to wake you up. And you don't need to cover up. I can't see anything," he promised, seeing how tight she was holding the blankets to her chest.

Blushing lightly, Rachel let the blankets slip down a little, "sorry, it's a reaction," she told him, "thank you for the wake up. We did forget to set an alarm."

"Yeah, and we were even awake several hours ago and double checked the time and we still didn't think to set one," Noah added, "so thanks, man."

"No problem. It's kinda overcast today, but you can still see the light and some of the colors," he explained, crawling off the bed to move towards the window and pulled the curtains apart, so they could see outside.

Seeing what Taylor was talking about, Rachel shrugged, "it's okay. We're still here," she pushed the blankets off her and crawled out of bed, reaching for her boyfriend's hand, "come on, Noah."

Noah followed Rachel's path to get out of bed, and then took her hand as they walked over to stand next to Taylor, looking outside, "definitely not much to see, but it's cool we're here," he draped his arm over her shoulders and kissed her forehead, "and I get to spend it with important people in my life."

Rachel smiled at him and slid her arms around his waist, "exactly."

Contently the three watched as the light filtered through the cloudy morning, giving orange and pink reflections to the clouds as the sun slowly appeared. Rachel definitely understood what Taylor meant and after a few moments of seeing the little bit they could, Rachel looked to Taylor and then back to her boyfriend, "if you guys want to go down and work out, I'm alright with that. Taylor's right. There isn't much to see, since it's mostly behind the clouds."

"You sure, babe? We can wait a bit," Noah replied, glancing at her.

"I'm sure. You guys go hang out. Just don't forget to tell your dad, Tim and Alex that you're going, remember?"

"I won't forget," he promised, kissing her gently, then looked at Taylor, "give me a few minutes and I'll change into some workout clothes."

Taylor nodded, shrugging lightly as he pulled his phone from his pocket, "take your time. We've got all morning."

"Well, not 'all' morning, but a large portion of it," Rachel corrected, then blushed, "sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be," Taylor smiled, patting her shoulder, "you're right. We do have other things going on this morning, but it's not for a while. We probably won't be gone too long anyway. I'm sure Noah doesn't want to do a huge workout, in case he gets tired for later on and I know that wouldn't be good."

"Oh, definitely not!" She agreed, "be careful and take it easy down there," she warned.

Noah smirked and nodded, "of course I'll be careful and won't overdo it," he promised while he changed, "just relax, babe."

"I'm trying, but today is a big deal. If we make it through the first round of Regionals, it shows that we can make it through something like this," she said, holding up her cast, "I know this only physically hurt me, but it affected everyone and we missed a lot of practicing because of it. Today will tell us if we managed to have enough time to put things together."

Listening to his girlfriend, Noah finished changing and walked over to her, resting his hands on her shoulders reassuringly, "we've had plenty of time. Yes, it did affect us, because we were worried about you, but we practiced as much as we could while you were gone. Once you came back, we focused on what we needed to do and you're an amazing singer and dancer. You've been able to almost pick up where you left off and with a few changes here and there, you were able to catch up to and pass us with our choreography. We've got this, babe. Have faith in yourself, in our friends and in me. We'll make it to Nationals," he promised, kissing her gently as he hugged her.

Rachel smiled happily as his words sunk in and she tried to push her worries from her mind, focusing on all the positive things that could happen, instead of dwelling on all the negative ones, "I'm trying," she murmured, "but... you're right. We will make it. I have faith in us."

"Good," he smiled, brushing his hand over her cheek, "and I know you're trying. You've been dealing with a lot lately and it's not easy to just forget the bad things that 'could' happen. Trust me, I'm like that a lot, too, but with good friends and family around, for me, it's easy to think of the positive. You'll be there, soon, too. It just takes time."

"Yeah, it does," she nodded in agreement and leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips, "thanks."

"No problem," he replied happily, hugging her tightly and kissing her once more before they parted, glancing at his watch, "okay. Taylor and I should get going. We'll be back soon."

Rachel shared a quick hug with Taylor, before nodding at her boyfriend, "okay. See you soon. Have fun."

Noah smiled at her as the two walked towards the door and nodded, "we will."

...

With Noah, Taylor, Ethan, Taylor's dad Daniel, Tim and Alex all going down to the hotel's gym to work out, Taylor's mom, sister, Deborah and Arin, joined Rachel and her dads in their room to talk and have breakfast. Deborah had also brought over all the passes that Rachel and her dads would be handing out to the club, the band and all the chaperones for New Directions and they sorted them out a little bit, so it'd be easier to hand out later.

Also during the morning, Rachel began texting with Quinn and Carly, finding out that the bus left Lima a little after seven-thirty and they'd be arriving around ten. Rachel made sure to keep any 'Taylor' related comments from her texts, because she didn't want Carly to know, until she arrived, that she'd be seeing Taylor, though it was hard for Rachel to keep quiet, after Taylor had woken her and Noah up in an interesting way.

...

Down in the gym, the guys did a simple workout, using light free weights, the treadmills and the exercise bikes, none of them wanting to overdo it. Deciding to finish around eight-forty-five, the guys headed to the hotel's café for a quick breakfast, because they knew everyone was already eating upstairs.

Getting their drinks and food, the guys sat down by nine and Noah checked his phone, finding a message from Finn about when the club had left Lima. Returning his message, Noah didn't get a response back, so he slid his phone back into his pocket and returned talking with the guys while they ate. As they finished up, they realized what time it was and decided to head back to their rooms to get ready for the day.

A little before ten, everyone was ready to go and the Puckermans, Lautners, Tim and Alex headed off to the venue, leaving the Berrys to wait for New Directions to arrive. Rachel had continued her conversation with Carly and she knew they were close, so she and her dads went down to the lobby to wait for everyone.

Just after ten-fifteen, the bus arrived in front of the hotel and everyone began filing off to stretch their legs, so Rachel and her dads went over to greet them, "welcome to Detroit!" She exclaimed happily.

"Oh my God! We're staying here?" Carly gasped as she hugged Rachel.

"We are. We actually have an entire floor upstairs," Rachel admitted, pulling away from Carly to hug Quinn and motioned towards the higher up floors as they stepped apart.

"Hey Rachel," Will nodded at her, "Emma and I will go in and check everyone in, if you want to tell everyone about the passes," he suggested.

"Okay, we can do that," Rachel replied as David gave Will and Emma their passes.

While Will and Emma headed inside, Rachel explained the reason for the passes and warned them not to lose them. Thankfully, they had a pass for everyone and when Emma and Will returned, they began passing out room assignments and soon the teens and chaperones were heading up to their floor. It took a few trips to get everyone upstairs, and the security guard was getting a workout, checking all the passes they had on, matching the picture on the ID to their face.

The new arrivals took some time to drop their bags off in their rooms and check out their views, all definitely wanting to thank Noah for the hotel upgrade from what they expected.

It wasn't long before, Rachel and the teens were gathering up their costumes for the competition and began collecting in the lobby with their chaperones. Once Will was sure everyone was there, they piled onto the bus and headed towards the venue.

...

It was no secret that Noah would be there that weekend, but no one knew when he'd be arriving. As he, Taylor, their families, Tim and Alex got to the venue, they were able to get up to the main entrance without being noticed. There was a small crowd of parents and relatives for the day's performers outside, moving into the building and for the teen celebrities, it wasn't surprising to hear whispers of curiosity as people wondered if they really were 'Puck' and 'that guy from the Twilight movies'. Both Taylor and Noah had baseball caps on and ignored the comments, so no one could tell for sure and once they were inside, Tim and Alex guided them to an upper balcony of the venue, where a portion was specifically marked off for Noah, Taylor, and everyone there with them, including the club and their chaperones.

Venue security was nearby to make sure no one got in the sectioned off area who wasn't allowed, and Tim and Alex stayed nearby to keep an eye on the people passing by. The lower level was where most of the performing schools were, waiting for their turn to use one of the practice rooms, while the upper level seemed to be more family members, friends and the general public, so people were walking around. Everyone knew Noah would be there and they quickly figured out he was in the area sectioned off, and some also recognized Taylor.

The guys were thankful everyone was thus far respecting their space, but they didn't hesitate to wave or turn every once and a while towards a fan who was waving at them for a picture, but they never got up, because they wanted watch the few schools performing, while waiting for everyone else to get there.

The school that went on at just after ten-thirty was the one Taylor would have gone to if he and his family had stayed in Michigan, so he and Noah, along with their families cheered the school on, along with others who were there to support them.

...

Noah and Rachel had been texting a little, while he was at the venue. Telling her who had performed and she was keeping him posted on when the club arrived and when they were heading to the venue, which gave Noah time to tell Tim and Alex, so they could head down to meet the club when they got there.

A little before eleven-thirty, New Directions arrived and once Will checked the club in, Alex and Tim guided them to where Noah, Taylor and their families were.

Carly and Rachel were walking together and Rachel had been debating on how exactly to surprise Carly with Taylor being there. Noah had told her through text messages that morning if she wanted to drop hints to Carly, she could, but Taylor wanted to see the look on her face when she saw him, so Rachel did her best to keep quiet, but she was having a hard time, "okay, so I have a confession," Rachel admitted, looking at Carly as they headed to the upper level.

"Okay..." Carly eyed her, "about what?"

"I haven't been totally truthful with what we did last night," Rachel replied.

"If it's about... well, we already know that you two..." Carly commented, keeping her words vague in case someone overheard something they shouldn't, "you guys were before."

Rachel narrowed her eyes in confusion, trying to figure out what she was talking about and then she realized what she meant, "oh, no... Well, yes, we did, but that's not what I mean," she explained, assuming she was talking about the sleeping arrangements.

"Oh, well, if it's not that, what is it?" Carly responded.

"Not what..." Rachel blushed, "more like... who..." She trailed off again and glanced at Quinn and Finn who were next to her, "I..."

"Rachel is everything alright? You're not making sense right now," Carly smirked, seeing her blush and trying to figure out what she was saying.

"I'm alright. I'm just... I can't _tell_ you everything," Rachel told her, glad to see they were nearing the area her boyfriend was in.

"Oh, I get it," Quinn smiled, seeing through the group to the familiar guys and immediately knew what Rachel had been hiding.

Before Rachel or Carly could respond to Quinn's comment, Tim and Alex nodded at the guards and they stepped aside to let the teens and chaperones file into the private area, which caught the attention of Noah and the others. Standing up, Noah moved towards his friends, "hey everyone. Glad you guys got here alright," he waved at them as he slipped his arm around Rachel's shoulders.

"We did. Got some sleep on the bus," Finn admitted, nodding at him as most everyone began to find seats.

As everyone started to arrive, Taylor, who'd been sitting next to Noah, got up and moved around the seats, coming up another aisle nearby, passing Carly, so she hadn't seen him yet. After most everyone was seated and Noah, Rachel, Finn, Quinn and Carly were standing in the middle of the aisle, he moved towards the small group. Some of the club members saw him, so he held a finger over his lips, so they'd keep quite for a moment as he came up behind them and simply slipped his hands over Carly's eyes.

Carly jumped in shock, not sure who the person was, and her hands came up to rest on the stranger's, trying to figure out who it was.

"Can you guess who I am or should I give you a hint?" Taylor asked with a grin.

Immediately, Carly recognized his voice and gasped, whipping around, "oh my God, Taylor! You're here!" She exclaimed, her voice jumping an octave as she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

Taylor smiled and returned her hug, "I am. Surprise!"

"Definitely," she agreed, excitement building as she tried to contain herself, "I didn't expect you to be here."

"I know. That was the point. I wanted to spend my birthday in my home state and when I found out you guys would be here this weekend, I knew it was perfect timing."

"It definitely is," she nodded, smiling at him as her cheeks flushed, "so you're gonna watch the club perform and be here all weekend?"

"Yep," Taylor replied, returning her smile, "I'm looking forward to hanging out together."

"I am, too," she ducked her head and pushed her hair behind her ears nervously, and then looked at Rachel, "so this is what you were hiding?"

"Yeah. Taylor wanted to be the one to surprise you, so he asked us to keep quite," she explained, motioning between her and her boyfriend, "or I would have told you when I found out, or this morning."

"It's okay," Carly smirked, "I kinda liked the surprise. Just didn't expect it. I should have, but I had other things on my mind, like getting out of the house for the weekend."

"Hopefully you'll enjoy your weekend, so it'll be worth it to get away," Taylor told her with a smile.

"I'm sure I will enjoy it," she grinned, "so, um, should we sit down?" She asked, noticing that Finn and Quinn had taken seats already, so she, Taylor Noah and Rachel were the last ones standing.

"Oh, we should. I think the next school is about to go on," Rachel nodded, glancing towards the stage.

The guys led the girls towards where they'd been sitting in the front row, their parents and sisters sitting behind them and as Rachel and Noah sat down, Taylor motioned to his mom, "mom, this is Carly. Carly this is my mom, Deborah and my sister, Makena," he commented, "you remember my dad from when we were in Lima, right?"

"I do," Carly nodded at Daniel and then waved at Deborah and Makena, "hi! It's nice to meet you both."

"You, too," Makena replied.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Deborah admitted, leaning over the seats to hold her hand out, "Taylor's talked a lot about you recently."

"Really?" Carly shook the woman's hand and looked at Taylor, as his cheeks started to flush, "you've been talking about me?"

Rubbing his neck nervously, from being put on the spot, Taylor nodded, "yeah, I have," he said honestly, watching her cheeks began to turn a light shade of pink, "have you been?"

"A little," she agreed as the two turned around and took their seats, Carly next to Rachel, "we're just getting to know each other, so I haven't said much, but I've definitely enjoyed our conversations and I feel comfortable with you."

"I feel the same way," Taylor smiled.

Listening to the whole conversation, Rachel couldn't help turning to look at her boyfriend, smiling brightly, but before she could say anything, he leaned over and kissed her, "I already know what you're thinking," he whispered, seeing real happiness written all over Taylor's face, a look that Noah hadn't seen for a while, so he added, "anything's possible. Never know what this weekend will bring."

Rachel nodded in understanding and snuggled up to him, "that is so true."

...

Once everyone was seated, they tried to get into the school performing, but not many of them were interested in the music they were using, so most of them started talking to each other. Their conversations continued until the school was over and some of the teens and adults decided to go get something to eat, because it'd been an early morning and they still had a few hours before they'd be performing.

Ethan, Daniel, David and Alan offered to go get things for their families, so Noah and Taylor didn't have to venture out with Tim and Alex, in case they got rushed by fans. Soon the four dads were standing in line at one of the food court restaurants, while teens and adults milled around, some were eating, some just wandered through and while the guys waited to get to the front of the line, David glanced in the direction of a newly arriving school and saw an older brunette woman with them, "no way!" He gasped, resting his hand on Alan's shoulder, "tell me I'm seeing things," he muttered, motioning towards the woman.

Alan followed his eyeline, catching a glimpse of the woman David had seen, "you're not seeing things. It's her," Alan confirmed.

"Who is she?" Ethan asked curiously, unable to resist looking towards the woman they were talking about, "do you know her?"

"You could say that," David nodded, pulling out his cell phone and typing the words 'it's Rachel's surrogate' and turned the screen so both Daniel and Ethan could read it.

"Oh," Ethan nodded, "small world?"

"Yeah, it is. I don't know why she's here, but I'm sure we'll find out at some point today," Alan replied.

"Just keep this between us. We have a lot to figure out before they meet," David murmured, seeing the woman and the group of students she was with taking seats around some of the tables nearby.

"Oh yeah. It's not our place to say anything," Ethan assured them and Daniel agreed.

...

Reaching the front of the line, the guys returned their focus onto getting the food they'd come for, but David and Alan were worried about the woman they hadn't seen since the day Rachel was born. Because Rachel had never shown any desire to meet her surrogate, the two men had pushed her memory to the back of their minds, knowing one day Rachel would ask about her, or she'd return to their lives; they just didn't expect it to be at a show choir competition.

Once they'd gotten all the food they'd come for, the four men began walking towards the balcony where their families were. The guys all had to walk past the woman and the students she was with, and just as David and Alan looked at her, she looked up and the three froze, sharing silent gazes as she realized who they were.

The brunette haired woman's eyes widened in shock and stood up, as if she was going to walk towards them, but before she could go any further, a few students asked her a question, distracting her.

David and Alan looked at each other, "we should go. I'm not ready for this," David muttered, motioning towards Ethan and Daniel's backs, the two men having continued on when David and Alan stopped.

"Yeah, we have to talk," Alan agreed, and before the woman looked up again, both guys continued walking, catching up with Daniel and Ethan, "we have the legal hand. We agreed she couldn't look for Rachel until she was 18, but that doesn't mean Rachel can't look for her. Granted we never talked about bumping into her in a public place, but it'll be up to us if we let Rachel see her."

"Rachel is gonna know somethings up and even if she's still a minor, she deserves to make her own decision," David reminded him.

"I know that, but I just mean if we tell her that Rachel's not interested, she has to respect that," Alan explained as they came to the sectioned off balcony, "when are we going to tell her?"

"Tonight. I don't want her distracted before performing. She's got enough going on, worrying about if they'll make it through the first round or not. At least wait until after they perform," David told him.

Alan agreed silently and decided it was best to stop talking about it so someone didn't over hear something they shouldn't. Moving towards Rachel and the teens they'd gotten things for, they handed over the items, before retaking their seats next to Ethan and tried to forget about the sighting for the time being.

...

Eating and watching a few more schools perform, another hour passed by and soon New Directions was able to go into their practice room to change and get ready for their performance. Gathering up their costumes and getting ready to leave, they briefly talked about who would go or stay where they were, but after a few suggestions, everyone decided to hang out in the practice room and once it got closer to performance time, some of them would return to their seats to watch New Directions.

No one wanted to see Noah or Taylor rushed by fans, so as they began to file out of the sectioned off area, the teens and adults surrounded their famous friends and the girls with them, so they not only had the protection of Noah's bodyguards and the guys' dads, they also had their friends. As expected, new arrivals, other performers and people there for the competition recognized Noah and Taylor, and started calling out their names or snapping pictures as they walked by. The guys smiled and waved in the direction of the people calling out, but the two kept walking, not having time to stop to sign autographs and it wasn't the best area for either of them to be in, because there were so many people around.

Thankfully, New Directions made it to their practice room without any problems, and immediately began to change. As expected, the guys didn't take as long as the girls and after just a few minutes, Finn, Noah and Mike were walking out of the changing area, mostly ready except for tying their shoes, which they did once they weren't in the crowded changing area.

Taylor couldn't help laughing, "I'm sorry, guys, but you look like you just walked out of a 'Grease' movie," he grinned, snapping a picture of Noah.

"We are singing a song from the show," Noah replied with a smirk, "and these costumes are not what I'm used to changing into, but I can deal with them for a little while to perform today," he added, looking down at his clothes. All the guys were wearing black T-shirts, with blue jeans. Their jeans were rolled up so they touched the top of their low-cut black and white Converse and each of them had on a black sweater with a red 'M' on it, much like what Danny wore at the end of the classic movie.

"I think you guys look great," Carly smiled.

"Thank you, Carly," Noah replied.

...

Matt, Ryan and Artie joined the rest of the guys, now all waiting on the girls and Kurt to finish, so they could practice their songs one final time.

The girls finally began to emerge from their changing area, wearing knee length black dresses, decorated with red polka dots. A white belt wrapped around their waists as an accent and over their arms was a black sweater, matching the guys' sweaters. They also had on low-cut socks and matching shoes to the guys, so they were more comfortable to dance in. Though most of the girls wanted to wear their sweater sleeves pushed or rolled up, they all went with them down, so they matched Rachel, who was keeping her cast covered with her sleeve and was glad it didn't stand out too much from the costume.

Santana and Brittany were the first girls out of the changing area, followed shortly by Quinn and Rachel. As soon as Noah saw his girlfriend, he walked towards her, "hey beautiful," he smiled, holding out his hand to her.

Rachel returned his smile, a light blush growing on her cheeks, "you like?" She asked, taking his hand and moving closer to her boyfriend.

"Definitely," he nodded, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"You look amazing, too. Kurt's dressed, so I knew what you guys were wearing, but," she smirked, reaching up to play with his sweater's neckline, "I didn't know what you'd look like in it."

"Oh yeah?" He looked down at his clothes, "what do you think?"

Rachel moved her hand to rest on his upper arm, feeling his muscles under the sweater he had on, "I really like the view," she grinned, feeling her cheeks getting warmer as she blushed.

"Thanks," he winked, reaching up to rest his hand on her cheek, "definitely not something I'd wear every day, but to be your Danny, I'm in."

"And I feel the same way about being your Sandy for a short time," she smiled, hugging him once more, "but I like being ourselves more."

"Me, too," he agreed, kissing her cheek before the two pulled apart to join the rest of their friends.

...

As the last girls finally finished getting ready, the club gathered together to get a few group photos taken, getting some with their directors and some with the others in the room. A few of the couples posed for some quick pictures before the club moved onto practicing their songs for the day.

After getting through each song twice, the club shared some words of encouragement with everyone as it got closer to their performance time. Carly was even nervous, though she wasn't performing this time, because she kept thinking about performing at Nationals in the coming weeks. Rachel, Noah and several others, including Taylor, quickly assured her it was normal to be nervous and now that she'd gotten a taste of the competition, Nationals wouldn't be as stressful.

The pep talk calmed Carly down enough to relax and she agreed they were all right and she admitted she wasn't sure why she was so nervous, but was glad she was having that feeling, so she had time to 'prepare' for Nationals.

When it got closer to their performance time, the teens needed to get to the backstage area, so Taylor, his family, Deborah, Arin, Rachel's dads, Carly and some of their club's other chaperones headed back to where they'd been sitting, while 'New Directions', Noah's bodyguards, Ethan and Will headed towards the stage, passing the club that had just finished performing. New Directions was given their ten minute countdown and found places to stand near the curtains, doing some last minute stretching and relaxing before they went out on the stage.

Noah happened to glance out to the judge's table and saw Josh and Olivia there, confirming what he already knew was true; they were two of the four judges for the competition.

Rachel noticed her boyfriend's gaze and took a deep breath when she saw the two celebrity judges, "it seems more real now, doesn't it?" She asked, sliding her good arm around his waist.

"Yeah, it does. I knew they'd be here and I saw the earlier, but now they'll be judging us, so it's a different feeling. Even I'm a little nervous now," he replied honestly.

"So am I," she agreed, nodding in understanding, "but this is another step in getting back to my old self and I'm ready."

Noah smiled and slid his arm around her shoulders, "I'm so proud of you, babe."

"We all are," Quinn added, moving to Rachel's other side.

Leaning against her boyfriend, Rachel smiled and turned to Quinn, seeing a few of her friends nodding in agreement to what the blond said, "I'm really glad to have you all as friends. I couldn't have gotten through this without you all. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Rachel, and we're glad to have you back," Tina added with a smile.

Before the teens could say anymore, the stagehand came over to tell them they had a few minutes until showtime. Will, Ethan, Tim, Alex and the rest of the teens gathered together and Will looked around at all of them, "no matter what happens out there," he motioned to the stage, "I want you to know that I'm so proud of you," he beamed, holding his hand out to the center of the circle they were standing in and without hesitation, everyone added their hands to the center, piling them together.

On a count of three, the teens threw their hands up in the air and shouted 'Go New Directions', before cheering and walking to the side of the stage to wait to be introduced.

"_...and now, from McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, under the direction of Will Schuester and Ethan Puckerman, please welcome 'New Directions!'_"

The band immediately moved out to the stage and took their places, while the teens shared a final look with each other. Once the band was settled, Mercedes signaled them to start 'Beautiful' and on her cue, she moved out on the stage, immediately beginning to sing the familiar and meaningful Christina Aguilera ballad.

The other girls, minus Rachel, slowly moved onto the stage at the right time and all followed the choreography exactly like during their practices, singing the chorus as backup to Mercedes, while the guys and Rachel watched from the side of the stage.

Noah stood behind his girlfriend and slid his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, "_you are beautiful no matter what they say. Words can't bring you down. You are beautiful in every single way. Yes, words can't bring you down, oh, no..._" he whispered to her, as he followed the girls voices.

Rachel turned her head a little to smile at him and rested her good hand on his, "thank you. I love you."

Pressing a light kiss to her cheek, he returned her smile, "love you, too, babe. Always will."

...

The couple remained close, everyone huddled behind the curtains to watch their friends. The girls' performance was spot on and as the band played the final notes, the audience cheered and clapped for them, while the girls bowed briefly and waved in thanks to the large crowd. "Thank you!" Mercedes smiled, "we're only a part of New Directions. I'd like to welcome our club mates to the stage for our final number."

The clapping and cheering continued for a long moment and as some fans caught a glimpse of 'Puck' for the first time, the noise got louder from excitement of the ones who were there just to see Noah. Normally Noah would have waved to the fans, but he chose to wait. He wasn't there as Puck; he was there as an equal part of New Directions and he didn't want to take away from his friends' moment on stage.

Taking their places, Noah glanced at his girlfriend and when she nodded, the band began to play the opening of 'You're The One That I Want'. Immediately, the teens began to follow their choreography and Noah started out the song with his vocals, earning another applause from the fans and he was thankful he was used to the screams and cheers, so he didn't get distracted by them.

At first, the guys and girls danced apart, but as Rachel got through her part, they all joined together for some partner dancing, Noah and Rachel leading their friends during the song. With practiced ease, they followed their steps without missing the beats. They had chosen to use some of the familiar steps from the movie, to make the song more recognizable, but they also modernized it and made it their own dance, not following the exact set up the 'Grease' movie used.

As practiced, towards the end, the club gathered closer together on the risers and when the band played the final notes, they all stopped dancing, lowered their heads and folded their hands in front of them, ending the song completely.

The venue erupted in loud cheering, the club earning a standing ovation as they all moved towards the edge of the stage to bow together, waving at everyone in thanks. Lingering for a few moments while the applause continued, the teens slowly walked towards the side of the stage and slipped behind the curtains as everyone began to settle down and once behind the curtains, Rachel jumped into her boyfriend's arms excitedly, "that was amazing! We did it!"

"Yes, we did," he smiled, hugging her tightly, before pulling back and kissing her on the lips, "we all were awesome!" He added, looking towards the group of their friends just a few feet away, "I say that was a very successful performance."

"I agree with Rachel and Noah. You all were amazing," Will smiled clapping for them as the teens shared hugs of excitement with their friends. "I hope you all are ready to perform tomorrow, because I'm very sure you're going on to the second round!"

...

With confidence high from their performance, the teens and adults returned to their practice room to change. Getting into their own clothes didn't take as long as earlier, and soon the large group was walking back towards where they'd been sitting to meet up with the others.

As they were walking, Ethan was next to Noah. Noah's arm was draped around Rachel's shoulders and Tim and Alex were walking just a few feet away from Noah, there 'just in case' a fan decided to rush at Noah, but the guys were happy to be there to support the club, too.

"Are we staying here until they announce the results or are we going to leave for a while?" Finn asked curiously.

"We haven't really talked about it," Will admitted, glancing at his watch, "there are a few more schools performing before they give the results at about six or seven. We wouldn't have too much time if we left and wanted to come back."

"It makes more sense to just stay a few more hours until we find out if we're going on to the next round," Noah commented.

"Noah's right. Besides, I think now that we've done our performance, watching some of our competition won't be as nerve-wracking as it might have been earlier," Rachel explained, glancing around at everyone.

"Admit it, Rachel. You just wanna see more of our competition," Quinn teased lightly, looking at the brunette.

Rachel's cheeks flushed, looking at the blond a few feet away, "yes, I would like to see some other clubs. If anything, it will give us a chance to see others we could be competing against at Nationals."

"Yep, Rachel's definitely back," Kurt grinned, reaching out to pat Rachel on the shoulder.

"Yes, she is," Noah nodded in agreement as he looked at his girlfriend, "I'm glad."

"I am, too," she replied with a smile, feeling like another weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

...

Shelby Corcoran had been a little distracted since seeing two familiar faces from her past earlier in the day. She hadn't seen either of them since she'd been their surrogate and had given birth to their daughter over sixteen years ago. She thought about Rachel often, wondering where they were living, what she was involved in, curious if she wanted to know her, but the last thing she expected was to see the two men at a show choir competition. She knew they recognized her, but because of one of her students, she was unable to approach them to talk. Ever since she saw them, she couldn't stop thinking about the two men and the daughter she gave them.

She'd wondered about the baby over the years, since she'd given birth. She knew she'd been named Rachel and the two men planned to stay in Ohio, both having good careers to support their family. By seeing the guys at the venue, she assumed Rachel was involved in her high school's show choir and during the time she was there to watch the performances, she tried to pick out which Ohio show choir she was in.

While thinking about Rachel being somewhere nearby, Shelby remembered she had a while before she could 'seek out' the child she gave birth to, having promised and signed a contract that kept her from looking for Rachel until she was eighteen. She figured once eighteen years had passed, she would try to find Rachel, or hoped sometime Rachel would look for her, but bumping into them while Rachel was still in high school, at a high school show choir competition, was unexpected to Shelby, and she had a feeling it was a shock for them, too.

Being the director of Vocal Adrenaline from Carmel High School, Shelby had a winning streak going and wasn't concerned about her club's chances of making it to Nationals, but wrangling many students and chaperones was not an easy task, especially when she was distracted with other things on her mind. Her show choir was currently running through their numbers for the first round of Regionals when she realized she'd left her bag, with her team roster in it, under the chair she'd been sitting in, so she excused herself and returned to her seat to get her bag.

Thankfully, her items were still where she'd left them, and as she was walking back, she could see a group of students and adults walking towards her. She immediately recognized 'Puck', protectively flanked by bodyguards and a few other adults. She knew all about Puck returning to his hometown and joining his school's show choir, one of Vocal Adrenaline's newest competition in the Ohio area, so she wasn't surprised to see him. What did make Shelby do a double take was when she saw the young girl Puck had his arm around. The petite brunette gave her a blast from her childhood, "_Could it be?_" She thought, freezing in her steps as she heard someone refer to the girl as 'Rachel'. "Rachel?" Shelby gasped out loud, "Rachel Berry?"

Upon hearing Rachel's name, the whole club stopped. As Rachel turned to look at the person saying her name, Ethan, Tim and Alex all moved to stand between Rachel and the older woman.

Ethan had been told earlier who the woman was, and he knew the deal David and Alan had with Rachel's surrogate, so he was not thrilled to have her reaching out to Rachel, even if she hadn't said anything except her name. The father in him, protective of Rachel like she was his own daughter, immediately wanted to guide Rachel away or say something to the woman, but Tim stepped up first, "Rachel, do you know this person?" He asked simply.

"Um, not really. I know of her. She's Shelby Corcoran, director of Vocal Adrenaline, but I don't know her personally," Rachel explained.

"Why don't you guys head on back to our seats. I'll speak with Ms. Corcoran about what she'd like to talk to you about," Ethan told Rachel.

"Alright," Rachel nodded, completely confused, but thinking it had something to do with Noah being out in the open for a long period of time, so she didn't mind waiting to find out why Shelby wanted to talk to her.

Thankfully, no one said anything about Ethan's suggestion, so the teens, Will, Tim and Alex continued to head towards their seats, while Ethan stepped towards Shelby, both staying silent until everyone was out of earshot.

"Hi," Ethan started, looking at the woman. He could definitely see familiar features that Rachel had, and he wasn't denying who she was, he just didn't think Shelby should even be speaking to Rachel without her dads permission; or at least have them around. "I'm Ethan Puckerman," he added, introducing himself briefly.

"Shelby Corcoran, but I think you already know who I am," Shelby stated, easy to see he was contemplating what to say.

"Yes, I do. David and Alan told me. I'm her boyfriend's dad," he explained, stepping towards the wall so they weren't in the middle of the walkway, "and I'm a bit surprised you said anything to her."

"I didn't mean for it to happen that way, so I am sorry," she admitted honestly, "I saw Alan and David earlier, but I didn't get to speak to them. I had a feeling she was here and when I heard someone call her Rachel, I couldn't help saying her name."

"I get that, but I know the agreement you have with her dads, too," Ethan told her.

Shelby took a deep breath and nodded, "yes, there is that. I know my restrictions, but we never expected to cross paths again, so we didn't talk about what would happen if we did. I'd like to speak with Alan and David at some point while you're here and maybe meet her, if they're alright with it. Is your son Puck?"

"My son is Noah. His stage name is Puck, yes," Ethan confirmed, "I can give your information to David and Alan. If they're interested in seeing you, they can contact you. That's how it's supposed to be, right?" He asked, holding out a small tablet and pen to her.

"It is," she nodded, taking the offered items. Quickly writing her name and cell phone number on a piece of paper, she handed the items back to Ethan, "I... I've thought about her a lot. Is she..."

Holding up his hand, Ethan stopped her and shook his head, "with all due respect, I'm not saying anything about her, other than that she's my son's girlfriend. It's not my place to tell you anything about her without her dads' consent," he explained, wanting to be clear where he stood.

While upset that he wouldn't tell her anything, she also understood what he was saying, "you're right. It isn't your place. I'm sorry I asked," she glanced at her watch, "I need to get going. My team is going to start performing soon."

"I'll give David and Alan your information, but I'm not making any guarantees," Ethan warned, "it's all out of my hands."

Shelby nodded, "I know and I understand. I appreciate you even giving my information to them."

...

**Lyrics mentioned; don't own, just borrowing for this work of fiction:**

'Beautiful' sung by Christina Aguilera, as well as Amber Riley in Glee, season 1.

...

A/N4: Hope you all enjoyed. Please let me know what you think! And be gentle! I've been dealing with a lot, so I'm sure there are a few mistakes while editing. I'm so sorry it's been so long since an update on any of my WIPs (though I did update 'Out of the Blue' recently) and it may seem like I've almost disappeared, but I promise I haven't. My family medical issues got really bad and for the last 3-4 months I really haven't had a lot of free time to sit down and write. This chapter took 2 months to write, I just finished it about a week ago, but I've been busy, so it took some more time to edit it before I could post it. Hopefully as things get back to a semi-normal, I can have some more time to write. I miss it and I miss you all!

A/N5: I have lots of ideas for the upcoming chapters. I think you all will enjoy them! So many ideas that I'm trying to write a lot of them out, so I don't forget.

**To explain my family medical issues:** my dad and mom's issues flared up in late-February. Dad ended up having his left foot amputated in mid-March, so he was in the hospital and then a rehab center for about a month total, so we were dealing with a lot of things with him. He's doing alright and got home in early-April. Then about 2 weeks later, my mom had to be rushed to the ER for abdominal pain and a ton of other things. They couldn't figure out what was causing the pain, exactly, so she was admitted and 2 days later had exploratory surgery to find out what was wrong. We knew she had a cancerous mass in her pelvis (her cancer from a few years ago is back), which was putting pressure on some of her organs, so they had to take out some of the mass and she had an abscess that ruptured, so it gave her sepsis. After surgery she was in the ICU for 8 days, she had a lot of problems and we almost lost her, but with prayers and love, she thankfully pulled through. After a few more days in the hospital (in a regular room), she was released to a rehab center and spent a while there, so she was gone from home for a month; she got home in late-May. I'm hanging in there, but I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, because I've been doing the work of 3 people and dealing with everything. I've had like no free time, I'm an only child and it's so scary right now. I've started seeing my psychologist regularly again and my mom still has a 9-inch long incision that's still healing that I'm changing dressings on daily and taking both her and my dad to various appointments... My dad's sister was here, but she left on the 5th of June. My mom started chemo on the 29th of May, but they had to hold last weeks dosage (she's getting it weekly) because counts were low and she's getting a special port put in so they can give her chemo through it instead of giving her an IV each time, because the chemo can do damage on the veins... She'll start back up this week (Thursday) with chemo and in another week or so she's gonna start losing her hair. She didn't lose it the last time she was on chemo and plans to shave it off before it starts falling out... So far she's done okay with the chemo, but that's only one dose and she has several more months of it weekly, so things may change in a few days/weeks... As you can see I have a lot going on, but I'm still trying to write when I can and hopefully I'll be able to get some more updates out soon. I really miss you all and I appreciate your support, understanding and prayers for me and my family. It really means a lot. I promise I'm still around and still writing Puckleberry, just please bear with me... You can keep in touch with me on LJ, FF, and as EJ8302 on Twitter and Tumblr (I get emails when you message me on them.).

...


End file.
